Chief sustainability officer : job description
A Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) is a senior executive responsible for developing and implementing a company’s sustainability strategy. Their role focuses on reducing environmental impact, ensuring regulatory compliance, and integrating sustainable practices into core business operations. CSOs work across departments to address issues such as carbon footprint, energy efficiency, waste management, and ethical supply chains. They also play a key role in stakeholder communication, reporting on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, and aligning business goals with global sustainability standards. By driving innovation and long-term value creation, the CSO helps organizations balance profitability with environmental and social responsibility.
What is a chief sustainability officer ?
Also called a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) manager, the chief chief sustainability officer plays a strategic role within the organization. They ensure the implementation and monitoring of environmental, social, and economic policies to integrate sustainability at the heart of the business model.
The CSO can initiate and coordinate a variety of actions: waste management, carbon footprint reduction, promotion of circular economy practices, improvement of working conditions, as well as compliance with non-financial reporting regulations.
Working closely with management, employees, suppliers, and sometimes even clients, the chief sustainability officer holds a cross-functional and essential position. Their mission is not only to minimize negative impacts but also to create long-term value for both the company and society.
As consumer and investor expectations evolve, and as regulations (such as the CSRD) raise standards, this profession is expanding rapidly. Both versatile and visionary, the chief sustainability officer must balance economic performance with sustainable development goals while preparing the company for future challenges.
What are the missions of a chief sustainability officer?
The chief sustainability officer has a wide range of responsibilities, which vary depending on the industry and company size. Generally speaking, their main tasks include:
- Assessing and analyzing the company’s environmental and social practices.
- Developing a sustainability strategy with short-, medium-, and long-term goals.
- Implementing actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water and energy consumption, and waste production.
- Ensuring compliance with the company’s sustainability policy.
- Keeping up with regulatory changes and ISO standards such as ISO 26000.
- Identifying and managing risks.
- Conducting management system audits.
- Preparing corporate sustainability performance reports.
- Integrating sustainability into research and development projects.
- Engaging with company departments and stakeholders such as clients, investors, and suppliers.
- Reporting on the company’s environmental and social performance and proposing improvements.
- Communicating the company’s sustainability commitment to clients.
Skills and qualities required
To become a chief sustainability officer, one needs technical, managerial, and interpersonal skills, along with personal qualities essential to succeed in this profession.
Key technical and professional skills include:
- In-depth knowledge of environmental and sustainability issues.
- Project management expertise (traditional and agile methods).
- Mastery of environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, air and water pollution, waste management, and resource use.
- Ability to engage teams around CSR projects.
- Proficiency in project management tools (planning, monitoring, evaluation, organization).
- Strategy and management knowledge to achieve corporate objectives.
- Ability to draft annual reports reflecting progress and challenges.
- Evaluation of corporate social and environmental responsibility through actions taken.
- Knowledge of sustainability-related management systems.
Personal qualities include:
- Listening skills to understand all stakeholders’ expectations.
- Team spirit to collaborate with internal and external actors.
- Strong communication skills to interact with different departments and achieve set goals.
- Pedagogy to raise awareness of sustainability issues.
- Curiosity to stay updated on legal and regulatory developments.
- Adaptability in a constantly changing world facing environmental challenges.
- Perseverance and determination to successfully lead long-term sustainability initiatives.
Education and training to become a chief sustainability officer
There is no single path to becoming a chief sustainability officer. Several academic and professional programs can provide the necessary knowledge and skills.
Some sustainability programs, however, are more relevant because they focus on sustainability and ecological transition. From the start, students are immersed in environmental issues while developing a broad understanding of business operations.
It is recommended to attend a business school with a specialization in sustainability or CSR. These schools provide students with a managerial approach to sustainability.
emlyon business school offers several programs to prepare for a career as a chief sustainability officer. These are master’s-level programs (Bac+5) accessible to students with a bachelor’s degree (Bac+3).
Examples include:
- Master of Science in Management of Energy Transitions: A two-year program designed to train experts in leading local and international projects at the core of the global energy transformation. In response to challenges like decarbonization, electrification, and digitalization, students gain essential technological expertise for understanding energy systems and managing complex sustainable projects. The program includes field missions, internships with industry leaders, and international coursework.
Brochure of the MSc in Management of Energy Transitions
- Master of Science in Leading Sustainable Transformations: Combining academic excellence and practical experience, this program prepares students to lead sustainable transformation projects in business. With immersive courses at The London Interdisciplinary School, company visits, and hands-on projects, students develop sought-after leadership and soft skills to become effective change-makers.
What is the salary of a chief sustainability officer?
The average salary of a chief sustainability officer depends on experience, company size, and industry. In France, the average annual salary typically ranges between €40,000 and €50,000 gross.
Career development of a chief sustainability officer
Career prospects are diverse. With experience, chief sustainability officers may advance to higher-level roles such as sustainability project manager, CSR director, or sustainability director. These strategic positions involve supervising teams and defining the company’s overall sustainability policy.
Another popular path is becoming a sustainability consultant, helping businesses transition to more sustainable practices. Consultants work on diverse projects across industries and organizations.
Key sustainability challenges for businesses
Corporate sustainability challenges go beyond simply reducing environmental impact. They encompass three key dimensions:
- Environment: reducing CO₂ emissions, optimizing resource management, promoting the circular economy.
- Social responsibility: ensuring fair working conditions, promoting diversity, and strengthening local ties.
- Governance: ensuring transparency, regulatory compliance, and integrating ESG criteria into overall strategy.
Adopting a sustainability approach enables companies to reduce risks, improve brand image, meet stakeholder expectations, and enhance long-term competitiveness.
Conclusion
The Chief Sustainability Officer plays a primary role in guiding companies toward sustainable business practices by developing strategies, setting ESG priorities, and coordinating sustainability projects across departments. Working closely with chief sustainability officers, the chief executive officer, and other leaders chief sustainability officers help design systems, procedures, and services that reduce risk, improve organizational performance, and strengthen social impact. By aligning sustainability efforts with market trends, government regulations, and long-term corporate goals, they contribute to building resilient companies capable of delivering growth while respecting environmental and social responsibilities.