Against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny over corporate governance, climate commitments and risk management, the role of the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) is undergoing radical transformation. What was once upon a time an arguably symbolic role has now been thrust into the spotlight: but only for those whose employers are willing to evolve.
Why the CSO role is shifting
This recent article in the Financial Times outlines how CSOs are increasingly being judged by what they deliver, rather than simply what they announce. This is very much in line with our own observations, at Leonid.
Key triggers include:
- A more volatile political and regulatory environment: globally, the “green narrative” that once dominated has been challenged by trade, energy security and cost pressures.
- A new investor focus on audit-ready data, measurable outcomes and integration of ESG into core business metrics. The FT article notes investor demands for "nitty-gritty" details.
- Cost pressures and expectations of accountability: CSOs are increasingly required to demonstrate a business case for sustainability initiatives — reducing emissions is no longer enough; showing cost savings, margin improvement or risk mitigation is essential.
- The convergence of sustainability with risk, compliance and audit functions. The article observes roles are shifting into legal/compliance frameworks (with the number of CSOs reporting into legal doubling, in one dataset) to ensure ESG is embedded, not peripheral.
What a modern CSO needs to bring
Based on recent placements and client conversations, we have noticed a trend in the core attributes requested by employers:
- Data fluency and operational rigour
The CSO must deliver hard metrics (carbon footprints, supply-chain disclosures, transition costs) and not rely on aspirational “good story” documents. As the FT article puts it, boards are asking for “actuals, not estimates”.
- Commercial acumen
Sustainability intersects with strategy, product development, investor relations and risk. The CSO must understand how sustainability affects margins, growth levers, market access and competitive advantage, not just reputational risk.
- Integration mindset
More than ever, sustainability must sit alongside compliance, audit, risk and operations. The CSO must collaborate across functions, rather than acting in isolation.
- Stakeholder muscle
With sustainability under the microscope from regulators, investors, customers and activists, the CSO needs to engage with diverse audiences: from audit committees to procurement teams to engineering supply chains.
- Change leadership and empowerment
Embedding sustainability requires culture shift, process redesign and technological enablement. The CSO must be a driver of change, enabling the organisation to adapt rather than just issuing policy.
Implications for boards and organisations
Organisations looking to hire or develop CSOs should consider:
- Is the role positioned as strategic or symbolic? If the CSO reports into marketing or CSR, and lacks budget or cross-functional access, the role may struggle.
- Does the CSO have a clear mandate to embed sustainability into business-critical processes (such as product development, supply-chain risk, regulatory compliance, investor reporting)?
- Are the required capacities and metrics in place? Without systems to collect and analyse data, the CSO’s ability to deliver is constrained.
- Is there a career and talent pipeline for sustainability leadership? Given the evolving demands, organisations must invest in upskilling and internal mobility to avoid being dependent on external hire.
- Are you asking the right questions at interview stage? Beyond passion and advocacy, look for evidence of commercial outcomes, metrics delivered, governance integration and cross-functional leadership.
There are some regional differences which are also driving nuanced change.
In the US, where regulatory momentum is uneven and investor expectations are sharper, sustainability leadership is being folded into legal, risk, or operations, forcing CSOs to prove business value in hard numbers.
In Europe, by contrast, strong regulation and stakeholder pressure continue to anchor sustainability at board level, creating deeper demand for ESG and disclosure expertise.
Those who succeed as CSOs are no longer simply “sustainability champions,” but strategic operators with tangible and impactful influence over business outcomes. Boards and leadership teams that recognise this will secure not just compliance or reputational benefits, but competitive advantage.
At Leonid, we partner with organisations to identify sustainability and ESG talent who match this evolving profile; professionals who combine data discipline, commercial insight and governance leadership. If you’d like to explore how your sustainability leadership roles must evolve, or benchmark top-tier talent in this space, we are here to help. Please contact Adam Bond for further information.