From Sustainability to Business Strategy

How the Role of the Chief Sustainability Officer Is Evolving to Shape Business Strategies

The role of Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) is rapidly evolving. What was once a specialized communication role has become—in the most advanced companies—a position that shapes business strategy. Researchers for The Leonardo Centre on Business for Society at Imperial College Business School, in collaboration with Emeritus, set out to study the role of CSO. Based on interviews with almost 40 sustainability executives around the world and insights from the GOLDEN Sustainability Database, this report details the facets of this important role and describes companies’ maturity levels in the integration of corporate sustainability and business strategy.