When Linda Fisher was named the first chief sustainability officer, at Dupont in 2004, it cemented sustainability as a tenet of corporate leadership. Today the CSO is a role at major companies, and many argue it has been instrumental to progress. But what happens when the CSO succeeds at “embedding” sustainability initiatives so thoroughly that it becomes a shared responsibility across business units, functional teams and product lines? Does the CSO become irrelevant? Alternatively, what happens when political headwinds under a climate change-denying administration push environmental action far underground? Is the CSO more essential than ever? The key question The question ‘Is the CSO irrelevant?’ was central to a mainstage debate at GreenBiz 26 yesterday. The purpose was less to prove one side or the other, and more to identify which of two teams made the stronger case, to help audience members challenge assumptions and sharpen thinking for the job ahead. Attendees on site in Phoenix nevertheless made clear through claps and cheers that — not surprisingly, this is their job title after all — they believe the CSO is more relevant and needed today than ever. In an online poll, Trellis also asked the 50,000 sustainability professionals who are readers of the Trellis Briefing newsletter to respond to a survey to indicate what they think about the rhetorical question too. Three quarters of the 70 respondents said: ‘No,’ the CSO matters more than ever. The other quarter said: ‘Yes,’ the role of the CSO is irrelevant. Many of the…
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