Sustainability Manager

Gone are the days when having a sustainability manager was optional. (We don’t think we should call them the good old days. Sustainability managers are great; today is the good old days!) (Or the green new days?)

In fact, today, as the sustainability landscape grows ever more complex, it is increasingly the case that one sustainability manager is not even enough.

To become a sustainability leader — and effectively integrate new sustainability elements like the CSRD or ESPR — companies must carefully implement a sustainability management structure that covers all bases. 

If you are in the process of putting such a structure in place, you’ve probably realized a few things. There are loads of different types of sustainability managers! Finding the right combination can be confusing and difficult! Even if you know what sustainability managers you want to hire, finding suitable candidates can be nearly impossible! 

We hear you, but there’s no need to worry. That’s exactly why we’ve created this comprehensive article. Keep reading, and you will learn everything you need to know about sustainability managers. Including key info about:

– What is a sustainability manager? 
– What does a sustainability manager do?
– Why you should hire a sustainability manager.
– How to choose the right sustainability manager for your business. 
– What is an interim sustainability manager?
– Advantages of hiring an interim sustainability manager. 
– Interim sustainability manager success stories. 
– How Dazzle can help you find your perfect interim sustainability manager. 

By following this guide, you’ll be able to implement the perfect sustainability management structure (and become a sustainability leader) in no time. 

We would strongly recommend, for any company that takes long-term success seriously, to also take sustainability management seriously. (That must surely be every company on earth then?).

How important is it today for organizations to embrace sustainability? And we mean really embrace it, by making it a core aspect of the long-term business strategy? 

If your answer to that question isn’t something along the lines of ‘very important indeed’, it’s possible that you might need to rethink things. 

Because for a while now, customers, employees, investors, and other key stakeholders have been demanding strong sustainability performance from companies. Making it a crucial contributor to business success. While recently, legislation such as the CSRD and Green Claims Directive have essentially made sustainability a legal requirement. 

With all this in mind, it makes sense for companies to hire someone who can manage sustainability-related issues and initiatives. In fact, sustainability has now become so simultaneously important and challenging, that many companies appoint several specialists to manage it.

As we will explore later in this article, many different types of sustainability manager exist. Each type focuses on optimizing particular aspects of sustainability within an organization. Choosing which one(s) you should hire depends on your unique circumstances. And we will offer our advice about that soon. 

But first, let’s consider the general benefits that all sustainability managers can offer.

There was a time not too long ago when understanding the ‘sustainability manager’ role was quite straightforward. What did every sustainability manager do? Well, they managed an organization’s sustainability efforts of course. 

This was true maybe 20 years ago, back when sustainability was more of a box-ticking exercise than a strategic necessity. 

Today though, sustainability simply has to be at the core of any successful long-term business strategy. At the same time, the sustainability landscape has grown so complex that it is now very difficult for one person to manage every aspect of it. 

So basically, strategically embracing sustainability is now entirely crucial, and more challenging than ever. 

The result of all this; the sustainability manager role has become diversified. Many different types of sustainability manager exist, and having the right combination in place is pivotal for business success. 

What does a sustainability manager do, you ask? 

Right now, the answer to that is, lots of things! 

(Lots of necessary things, as you’ll find in the next section). 

For any company that wants to be successful moving forward, embracing sustainability really isn’t an option anymore, is it? It is very much a necessity. 

Customers, employees, clients, investors, you name it. Today, all of your important stakeholders expect you to take sustainability seriously. And in order to do that, having a dedicated sustainability manager (or managers!) in place is absolutely crucial. 

Really, with new regulations like the CSRD and Green Claims Directive adding to the sustainability challenge lately, sustainability management has never been more important. 

But if you don’t have one in place already you might ask, what is a sustainability manager? 

What kind of background and expertise do they have? Is it a ‘one-size-fits-all’ kind of situation, or do different types of sustainability managers exist? 

These are all very valid questions, which we will now happily answer!