Founder’s
insights & media
Chief Sustainability Officer
Universal Definition
December 8th, 2025
This definition was crowdsourced via my Linkedin posts and a follow up survey during the month of November, 2025.
I’m publishing the insights so that Sustainability leaders and their leaders can identify and keep growing in areas where they have opportunity to do so.
Enterprise Leadership
1 Integrates sustainability into strategy, tools, skills, and culture
2 Engages and supports the C-suite/board as a strategic partner
3 Inspires vision and storytelling for the enterprise
4 Connects sustainability priorities to business cases and KPIs
5 Guides the enterprise’s journey and progress
6 Ensures accountable, enterprise-wide strategy and ownership
Additional inputs from the survey takers:
“Organizational transformation mechanics.”
Distinguish “business case” from broader “business value” (value creation, not just justification).
Clarify the company‑specific definition of “sustainability” as part of business strategy.
Address the tension between profit‑maximization and real sustainability (beyond greenwash).
Industry Presence
1 Builds external partnerships across industries for systemic change.
2 Provides thought leadership to frame sustainability in practical, positive outcomes for society (air, water, jobs, health, community).
3 Tackles system-level risks and opportunities beyond the enterprise.
4 Engages external stakeholders and fosters transparency/credibility
5 Extends influence to customers, suppliers, and the wider market.
6 Builds community and gives/receives knowledge and support at conferences, events, via mentoring
Additional inputs from the survey takers:
Address the many “whys” of sustainability that weren’t explicit: risk, innovation, competitiveness, etc., at system/market level.
Technical Skills
1 Supports integration of sustainability work across all business functions.
2 Equips enterprise with foresight tools, frameworks, and scenario planning.
3 Coordinates data, quality, and integrity organization-wide.
4 Stays current on technical trends and innovations.
5 Ensures alignment with reporting frameworks, compliance, and regulations.
6 Maintains precise, meaningful definitions and standards for sustainability.
Additional inputs from the survey takers:
Make sure basic terminology and standards are crystal clear (what sustainability means in that company and sector).
Continue to emphasize technical literacy but in service of enterprise value, not as an end in itself.
Critical Enablers (what the CSO needs beyond a role definition)
1 CEO support and C-suite sponsorship.
2 Seat at the table to integrate sustainability’s direct financial, risk, and reputational impact.
3 Mandate to build scalable influence within and beyond the enterprise.
4 Cross-functional buy-in and decentralized implementation (with centralized strategy).
5 Delivery of tangible stakeholder benefits (community, environment, workforce).
6 Ongoing learning, adaptability, and evolution of the role.
Additional inputs from the survey takers:
People leadership skills (leading teams, influence).
Communications excellence.
Budget management/ownership.
Strong ability to lead through influence (across functions and up to CFO/board).
Gratitude to all who contributed, including but not limited to
Marissa Garcia, Gretchen Kish, Neil la Croix, Sarah Kircher, Rachel Fleishman, Viviana M. Jiménez Torres, Tom Stikel, Dave Newport, Erica Löfving, Robert Bailes, Haseena Charania, Josiah McClellan, Asa Guilamo, Sven Sielhorst, Boudewijn Goossens