The Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) once stood as a beacon of progress within companies, signaling a serious commitment to climate action, social impact, and governance. However, today, the relevance of this role is under scrutiny. Some view it as a bureaucratic relic rather than a forward-thinking position. Is the CSO becoming obsolete?
The answer is mixed. On one hand, sustainability strategies are being integrated into functional units: finance handles climate risk, procurement manages supply chain emissions, R&D focuses on product sustainability, and legal oversees investor disclosures. Meanwhile, the CSO often finds themselves coordinating without direct authority.
Why CSOs Still Matter
Despite the dispersion of responsibilities, a dedicated CSO remains crucial for steering sustainability strategies, setting goals, and ensuring transparency. Without a central figure, companies risk losing coherence and efficiency in their sustainable initiatives. The CSO role must evolve to become more involved in capital decisions, product design, and operational choices.
Criticism of the Traditional Role
As sustainability becomes central, the CSO role hasn’t always kept pace. Many still focus on reputation and reporting rather than value creation. Their influence often falls short of the growing need for concrete decision-making. Some experts argue that the current CSO model must transform or fade away.
The future of the CSO remains uncertain, but the conversation continues. Upcoming discussions, like those at GreenBiz 26, will play a key role in shaping this debate.