How long does it take to become a Chief sustainability Officer

Who would have thought that by 2011 we would have more than 15% of FTSE250 companies with a Chief Sustainability Officer role in the C-suite? And this is across sectors from pharmaceuticals to IT to retail to mining. Now we all have a role to aim for!

Who has a Chief Sustainability Officer?

More and more large and medium-sized companies have hired CSOs, including Alliance Boots, AT&T, Covanta Energy, DuPont, Google, SAP, Siemens, Sun Microsystems, Johnson & Johnson, IKEA, Vedanta Resources and Rio Tinto, just to name a few.

These companies understand that sustainability is a core strategic business function. Many more market leaders are creating competitive advantage by prioritising the new role of CSO to collaborate with the CFO and CEO to build a sustainable business for future generations. But what does it take become a future CSO?

The Chief Sustainability Officer Skill Set

Recently one of my clients was in an informational interview at a leading supermarket chain the UK. He mentioned wanting to be a Chief Sustainability Officer someday. And even though he had a few years of solid sustainability experience under his belt already, the Director of Sustainability encouraged him to get a job within the business (supply chain, product development, operations) first and then work his way back into sustainability. So this is encouraging for some of us wanting to break into sustainability, but how about those of us already working in this field? We need to make sure we are still developing skills that will be valued by the “top”.

The CSO has a rounded skill set. According to Acre’s white paper, The Emergence of the Chief Sustainability Officer, the top five skills we all need to be honing to be CSO someday are:

1. Commercial understanding – You need to understand the business. Many companies are now hiring from within the business for sustainability roles because they want to know you can talk about the products, challenge the operations teams, and manage budgets. Commercial understanding is about having a vision, being able to also analyse at a detailed level and being able to develop relationships with the CFO, CEO and Board.
2. Strategic skills – You need to be constantly looking at the balance between operations and products. Measuring the risks and opportunities for each your products or services will be a focus of your day to day in the context of operational challenges. Can you do a robust SWOT analysis and benchmark the competitive advantages of your company against the sector?
3. Policy engagement – Being able to engage with policy makers and predict what will be the key regulatory drivers affecting your future business is crucial. Even though we have moved forward from focusing solely on response to regulation and compliance, policies still make up the most powerful framework all businesses work to.
4. People skills – You need to be a change agent, capable of inspiring others and transforming corporate culture from the inside out. Much of what a leading sustainability officer will do is link the priorities of external stakeholders to day-to-day embedded practices for internal stakeholders to embrace.
5. Communications skills – Managing the reputation of the business is crucial to the role of CSO. Communicating with external stakeholders and developing thought leadership to convince customers, investors and communities that your agenda matters.

If you possess any or some of these five skills then you could be on the track to the Executive Suite as CSO…or at least on her/his team!

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Do you like to plan and manage? Do you want to help the environment by working in a corporate environment? If you answered yes, you have the potential to become a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)!

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Chief sustainability officers help companies manage their energy resources, reduce waste, and improve their health and safety practices. Because sustainability is a growing field, now is an exciting time for prospective chief sustainability officers to advance their careers.

Do you aspire to be a Chief Sustainability Officer or are you just exploring the field? In either case, you’ve arrived at the right place!

This blog discusses the necessary skills, colleges and courses, salary, and other requirements for becoming a Chief Sustainability Officer. Follow the blog’s detailed guide about a career as a Chief Sustainability Officer.

Table of Contents

• What does a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) do?
• Job Roles as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
• Career path in Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
• Salary in different stages of a career as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
• Skills Required to become Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
• Is Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) a good career option?
• Types of industries Hiring Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
• Top Recruiters for Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
• Courses to upskill as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
• Qualifications to become Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
  • Degrees in India
  • Degrees Abroad
• References for Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)
• FAQs about career as a Chief Sustainaibility Officer
  • What does a chief sustainability do?
  • Is sustainability management a good career?
  • Is chief sustainability officer C suite?
  • Who should the chief sustainability officer report to?
  • What are the 3 pillars of sustainability?

What does a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) do?

A chief sustainability officer, or CSO, is a manager in charge of a company’s environmental impact, resources, and plans. The nature of the job is to assist companies in assessing their current environmental impact and determining how to improve their sustainable practices in the future.

CSOs may devise strategies such as reducing a building’s water or energy consumption, incorporating recycling programmes, and identifying ways to reuse old or discarded materials.

A chief sustainability officer also ensures that an organisation follows both regional and national environmental regulations.

Responsibilities of a chief sustainability officer may include:

• Assessing a company’s current strategies and processes in order to identify areas for improvement in terms of sustainability.
• Creating grant applications and proposals for environmental project funding
• Investigating the most recent trends, practices, and news in the field of sustainability
• Educating employees about environmental issues and ways they can practice sustainability, such as recycling or reducing their energy consumption.
• Monitoring data from an organization’s environmental initiative.
• Preparing proposals, budgets, and sustainability reports for review by the CEO, board of directors, and company stakeholders

Learn more: Career as a Hydrologist

Job Roles as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)

Some job opportunities that pay well for chief sustainability officers include:

• Director of Sustainability: A Director of Sustainability creates green policies and initiatives that emphasize the responsible use of environmental resources with the goal of preserving them for future generations.
• City Planners: A city planner’s job is to determine the best way to use a city’s land and resources. He or she may also assist in the drafting of legislation documents, planning the construction of new public housing or building facilities, assisting in environmental protection, and suggesting zoning regulations for private property.
• Sustainability Manager: A Sustainability Manager ensures that his or her company adheres to and strives to find new, innovative, and cost-effective ways to stay green. A sustainability manager is responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring a company’s or a group of organizations’ environmental strategies.
• Environment Strategist: As the name implies, an environment strategist is the company’s person in charge of developing strategies that can be implemented. He or she must remember that the company’s product or service quality must not suffer as a result of environmental conservation. As a result, one must devise a strategy that benefits both the company and the environment.

Career path in Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)

Although there are many paths to starting your career as a CSO, here are the most ideal ones

• Path 1: Select science stream after 10th ➜ Complete B.Tech in Environmental Engineering after 12th ➜ Pursue M.B.A. in Environment Management ➜ Become a CSO
• Path 2: Select science stream after 10th ➜ Complete BE in Environmental Engineering after 12th ➜ Pursue M.B.A. in Environment Management ➜ Become a CSO
• Path 3: Select science stream after 10th ➜ Complete B.Tech in Energy Environment and Climate  ➜ Pursue M.B.A. in Environment Management ➜ Become a CSO

After the 10th, focusing on and learning about the environment will prepare students and provide a solid foundation in these subjects before they begin learning advanced topics while pursuing their bachelor’s degree.

Students can also join environmental organisations or non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Environmental Volunteering allows people to “Travel with Purpose” and form emotional bonds with nature while helping to mitigate the effects of climate change and other issues.

After 12th, students can pursue a bachelor’s degree. To gain admission to the universities, candidates must achieve the target set by the universities in JEE or state-level entrance examinations.

After a bachelor’s, students can pursue an MBA. To gain admission to the universities, candidates must achieve the target set by the universities in the entrance examinations like CAT, MAT, GMAT, XAT, etc.

Check out the ‘How to Become a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)?‘ blog for a step-by-step guide to becoming a CSO!

Also read: SAT Exam – Important Dates 2022 – 23

Salary in different stages of a career as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)

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In India, the average annual salary for a chief sustainability officer is ₹13,69,508. They also receive an average bonus of ₹1,82,966. The average annual salary for an entry-level chief sustainability officer (1-3 years of experience) is ₹9,64,841. A senior-level chief sustainability officer (8+ years of experience) earns an average annual salary of ₹17,30,206.

Skills Required to become Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)

Consider developing the following key skills if you want to become a CSO:

• Policy engagement and interpretation: A CSO’s primary responsibility is to ensure that their organisation complies with government regulations regarding noise pollution, proper sewage disposal, and other related practices. As part of their job, a CSO may become an environmental advocate.
• Communication: A chief sustainability officer may communicate via a variety of channels, including emails, grant proposals, and educational outreach programmes. 
• Up-to-date on environmental issues: Even after completing their education, CSOs continue to learn about sustainability and the environment.
• Creative thinking: CSOs figure out how to reduce an organisation’s environmental impact while still allowing it to provide quality services or products, keep customers satisfied, and make a profit.
• Critical thinking abilities: Chief sustainability officers use critical thinking skills to assess a company’s current sustainability practices and devise plans to improve or develop new ones.
• Organizational skills: CSOs manage a variety of resources and projects, as well as their personal time. For example, a CSO may need to manage a recycling programme, research the latest pollution findings, and conduct conservation outreach to employees within the same week.

Is Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) a good career option?

As companies continue to focus on environmental, social, and governance reporting, climate change issues, and employee and customer demand for sustainability, the job outlook for sustainable professionals is bright.

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According to the study, there was a 10% increase in job postings on LinkedIn for roles with titles related to sustainability in 2019, which GreenBiz claims were greater than the overall growth in job postings.

In addition, by 2020, 58% of large organisations had increased their sustainability staffing levels over the previous two years, and the average team size had steadily increased since 2010.

Over the next five years, the estimated salary potential for Chief Sustainability Officer will increase by 42%, to around ₹19,38,825.

Types of industries Hiring Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)

A first in the C-suite The chief sustainability officer (CSO) is quickly becoming a fixture in notable companies as climate change and inequality dominate global attention.

Chief Sustainability Officer Officers are necessary for all industries. CSOs are most commonly employed in the following industries:

• Technical consulting services
• Government
• Manufacturing
• Healthcare

Top Recruiters for Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)

Although often associated with environmental issues such as water and energy use, a growing number of businesses are going much further in their sustainability efforts by improving working conditions in their supply chain, developing better safety procedures, and profiting from products that address environmental and social problems. Here are the top ten CSO recruiters:

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• Schneider Electric
• InterContinental Hotels Group
• Ørsted
• Credit Suisse
• Unilever
• PETRONAS
• Siemens AG
• Perfetti Van Melle
• JLL
• Neste

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Courses to upskill as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)

Some employers require or prefer that CSO candidates have an environmental certificate. The courses listed below provide a CSO with advanced knowledge in their field that they may require at the executive level.

• ISSP certification: The International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) provides two globally recognized certification options. One certificate recognizes fundamental sustainability knowledge and skills, while the other recognizes advanced sustainability knowledge and skills.
• Certification by BREEAM: Aspiring CSOs who want to work on creating, developing, or maintaining sustainable buildings should consider pursuing a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) certificate.
• Blended Professional Certificate- Chief Sustainability Officer: This course will assist Chief Sustainability Officers aspirants in interpreting changes in the external sustainability environment, analyzing the strategic implications, and developing a corporate strategy to address them effectively.
  
  Also, Do check out Clever Harvey’s JuniorMBA Future CEO program to gain industry exposure.

Qualifications to become Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required: Because many CSOs hold advanced degrees, earning a bachelor’s degree is the first step toward this higher qualification. Many aspiring CSOs major in environmental sciences, conservation, or sustainability.
• MBA or Master’s degree is strongly preferred: Positions of leadership, such as CSO, frequently necessitate an advanced degree, such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
• Gain experience: To become a CSO, you’ll most likely start out in entry- and mid-level positions before moving up to the senior or executive level. Look for entry-level or associate positions in sustainability or the environment. Working in these positions allows you to learn more about your field and develop professional skills that will help you as a future CSO

Degrees in India

UG courses:

• B.Tech Environmental Engineering: Globally, 4-year courses such as B. Tech in Environmental Engineering are being introduced to promote sustainable development and resource consumption. Environmental Engineering is a branch of engineering that focuses on environmental issues. Students are encouraged to seek scientific solutions to environmental issues such as automobile pollution and the development of renewable energy sources.
• BE Environmental Engineering: A 4-year course such as BE in Environmental engineering is a branch of engineering concerned with protecting people from the effects of adverse environmental effects such as pollution and improving environmental quality. Environmental engineers work to improve recycling, waste disposal, public health, and pollution control in water and air.
• B.Tech Energy Environment and Climate: The B.Tech Energy Environment and Climate programme is a four-year undergraduate programme. Energy engineering, also known as energy systems engineering, is a broad engineering and technology field concerned with energy efficiency, energy services, facility management, plant engineering, environmental compliance, and alternative energy technology. The course provides candidates with appropriate guidance on energy production and management.

PG courses:

Degrees Abroad

• UG degree: A bachelor’s degree in business administration or management, environmental engineering, environmental studies or science, finance, international business, public administration, or social sciences can help you become a chief sustainability officer.
• Environmental MBA: Some colleges and universities offer Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes that focus on the intersection of business practices and the environment. There are various environmental MBAs, such as those that focus on compliance, economics, or sustainability.
• Entrance exams: Students must take important international entrance exams such as the SAT, MCAT, LSAT, GMAT, GRE, IELTS, and TOEFL. Clearing these exams is required for admission to universities and colleges in various countries around the world. Clever Harvey’s step-by-step guide to the SAT entrance exam will provide you with all of the necessary information for the SAT exam. Check it out for yourself!

References for Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO)

Sustainability experts recognise that the field of sustainability (particularly climate change) is ever-changing. It’s not something you can learn in four years of college and then master — you have to work on improving your skills all the time. The following books will help you learn more about sustainability:

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• Cradle to Cradle
• Doughnut Economics
• Drawdown
• Green Giants
• Green Swans
• Grow the Pie
• How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
• Material Value
• Our Next Evolution
• Scale
• Silent Spring
• Small is Beautiful
• Sustainability: A History
• The Ecology of Commerce
• The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist
• The Future We Choose
• The Grid
• The Sixth Extinction
• The Story of More
• The Uninhabitable Earth
• The Upcycle
• There is No Planet B
• This Changes Everything
• Unstoppable
• Wisdom for a Livable Planet
• Chief Sustainability Officers At Work: How CSOs Build Successful Sustainability and ESG Strategies

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CSOs are senior executives in charge of a company’s sustainability strategy. CSOs are hired by large corporations to work with other C-level executives to ensure that the company’s resources are used efficiently. If you are a natural leader looking for a rewarding career, becoming a chief sustainability officer is a good option. Best wishes as you embark on your new career as a Chief Sustainability Officer!

FAQs about career as a Chief Sustainaibility Officer

What does a chief sustainability do?

Ans: The Chief Sustainability Officer collaborates with managers, employees, customers, and shareholders to address the organization’s approach to environmental responsibility in order to reduce the company’s environmental impact.

Is sustainability management a good career?

Ans: It’s a financially and emotionally rewarding career. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, median salaries in sustainability range from $46,000 to $72,000, with management jobs paying the most.

Is chief sustainability officer C suite?

Ans: Yes, as a member of an organization’s “C-suite”—which refers to several corporate executive positions in a company, including the CEO and CFO—a CSO is responsible for tailoring a company’s business operations to be as sustainable as possible.

Who should the chief sustainability officer report to?

Ans: The chief sustainability officer reports to the chief administrative officer, who is also the company’s legal and public policy officer.

What are the 3 pillars of sustainability?

Ans: The three main pillars of sustainability are economic viability, environmental protection, and social equity. These three pillars are colloquially known as people, planet, and profits.

Is it hard to become a chief sustainability officer?

How many years does it take to become a sustainability officer?

Are Chief Sustainability Officers in demand?

How many hours do chief sustainability officers work?