Chief Sustainability Officers (CSO), who are in charge of overseeing a company's sustainability, have a comprehensive and interesting job description, according to Laurel Brunner of the Verdigris Project.
On the one hand, one might assume that they are only concerned with a company's environmental impact. However, they may also be responsible for the company's general wellbeing and securing its long-term viability. Depending on the beginning position, it will determine which one is given priority and by how much.
Why are there so few CSOs in the printing and publishing industries when we have CEOs, CTOs, CMOs, CFOs, and CPOs? The majority of businesses in the printing and publishing sectors are small to medium sized businesses. As a result, hiring one person to oversee environmental sustainability may be expensive. Additionally, smaller companies may not be able to sustain a dedicated CSO's position over the long run. It makes more sense to add the role to already-existing roles like finance or business development. The CSO's mandate is to spearhead the organization's overall mission and dedication to advancing and overseeing sustainability programs. However, in this situation there is a chance of losing concentration, therefore devotion must be unwavering.
It must be acknowledged that the printing and publishing industries, as well as the supply networks that support them, have a patchwork commitment to sustainability. Making sustainability a central duty or responsibility is rather uncommon because it is not generally regarded as a top priority in the industry. Even while the entire firm might support efforts to create a more sustainable organization and business, sustainability is on the periphery of most managers' perspectives. Sadly, it still exists more in theory than in reality. However, regardless of the size of the organization, all businesses should prioritize environmental impact mitigation.
The level of assistance provided by senior management and other stakeholders will determine how well personnel assigned to this duty do their tasks. The first stage, along with budget capture, is certainly obtaining and quantifying the appropriate support. The sustainability aspects of all corporate policies, from HR to sales and supply chain management, must then be completely understood by a CSO.
Additionally, they need to be ready for ongoing and frequently tiresome knowledge development. The hardest aspect of the role may be coming up with concepts and having the tenacity to change, change, alter old habits. It must be accountable and effective.
Along with meeting sustainability goals, new ideas for increased sustainability must also support broader corporate aims. The ability to effectively communicate is essential to a CSO's job, particularly when it comes to persuading suppliers and hesitant coworkers to buy ideas. Since few managers want to have to keep up with the complex web of environmental standards, it's a good thing this is a two-way street. The importance of that component of the function increases if a company operates in several different jurisdictions because it benefits both the company and the environment.
