Sustainability, otherwise referred to as ESG, has become more and more important in business. ESG stands for Environment, Social, and Governance. This is intended to cover the different aspects of being a sustainable business. Another common term is the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit. 

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A fractional sustainability officer is a professional who can take charge of your company's sustainability initiatives, partner with your CFO to ensure alignment, or when it is necessary to get specific skills or a more senior experience level on board. 

A fractional Sustainability Manager can start immediately and bring with him/her experience, confident leadership, and the ability to implement the needed changes.

Fractional sustainability managers help organizations navigate the change they're going through. The exact activities will largely depend on the circumstances within the team. In essence, fractional sustainability professionals have the experience and skills to take over from the previous in-house managers. Alternatively, they can lead a team that might lack the necessary skills or experience. Fractional sustainability officers bridge the gap that the company has identified, whether that is due to unexpected leave, a turnaround, or other circumstances that lead to this need for support. 


This work is often done by experienced sustainability professionals. With Dazzle, we give you access to the best freelance sustainability talent. In this overview, we will talk you through: 

The skills & and qualifications of fractional sustainability professionals
How they can support your organization in times of need
How your collaboration with a freelancer could look like

The fractional sustainability managers on our platform have a background in sustainability strategy or ESG reporting in large organizations, as a freelancers, or even at Big 4 consultancies. Many of them have since moved to the freelance community, either to have more freedom or to be able to serve more organizations with their sustainability skills. Fractional sustainability managers typically have at least 10 years of working experience. 

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The freelancers on our platform have gone through our assessment process, where we evaluate their skills through an interview and case study. Afterward, the Dazzle freelancers complete a skills inventory that feeds our matchmaking algorithm. 

Typically, fractional CSOs will have worked with many organizations throughout the years. It's not untypical to have led full sustainability or ESG departments in the past. That means that an experienced fractional CSO can hit the ground running very fast, without a long onboarding period compared to a full-time employee. On our platform, we have a wide range of freelancers, to be able to match your organization, budget, and ambition level. 

Our recommendation would always be to work with senior professionals in the case of fractional support

Seniors

Senior sustainability freelancers (with 7+ years of experience as a sustainability professional) can support you completely from becoming compliant to moving beyond basic requirements. They can act as Chief Sustainability Officers as a service to lead the sustainability efforts from the ESG strategy formation all the way up to publishing your annual sustainability report. 

A Fractional Chief Sustainability Officer is a safe and cost-effective choice when your business is facing a change, a leave of absence, or other situations when you need to level up your sustainability strategy. A fractional CSO can also step in and support the existing team in a specific sustainability project or initiative.

If you have a vacancy you are unable to fill, you can engage fractional sustainability support in a short time with rapid results and implement changes during the time you recruit a permanent employee.

• When launching a (new) sustainability strategy
• When implementing a change in sustainability strategy
• To implement structures and processes
• In case of anxiety/lack of leadership
• If there is a need for support in specific sustainability projects
• In the event of a vacancy, maternity leave or sick leave

Time pressure and urgency

Recruiting employees for a full-time position in your sustainability team can be a timely process. With Dazzle, you can get started in as little as 48 hours. Simply book a discovery call, complete the scoping form and we'll match you to the best fractional professional. When reports are due,  deadlines are lurking around the corner, and data collection is delaying your progress, working with a fractional CSO can fast-track your actions and help you bridge the gap in your team. 

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Understaffed ESG department

The beauty and challenge of sustainability is that it is an extremely broad topic, with more and more sub-topics. Especially in organizations that don't have a fully staffed ESG department, it's almost impossible to expertly cover every single specialty. Sustainability freelancers are a convenient solution to bridge the skills gap that inevitably exists within your organization and get expert advice or implementation support in peak times. 

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Skill gaps and topic-specific expertise

Some extremely complex legislation might be coming your way, which could fall outside of the comfort zone of your core sustainability team. We also regularly see sustainability being covered by HR, Marketing, or Operational departments. Especially senior sustainability advisors can deliver much-needed specialist expertise, for example for complex biodiversity scans, LCAs, or reporting requirements. 

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Local expertise 

If the ESG department has no expertise in a local market but needs to comply with local regulations, it's difficult to find a sustainability advisor to support those cross-border activities. Experienced fractional sustainability professionals can supply guidance for local legislation, and reporting requirements, but also culturally sensitive advice on engaging employees in your sustainability efforts.

Flexibility

Instead of hiring someone full-time, working with freelancers allows you to get support only for the hours you really need. 

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Cost-effective

Dazzle can match you with a freelancer that fits within your budget. However, it is important to consider that fractional sustainability managers are often senior professionals.

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Specific expertise

Working directly with the individual ensures the level of expertise and experience needed to successfully deliver. Compare resumes and work with fractional CSOs that match your criteria. You can also rest assured that all Dazzle freelancers have successfully completed our vetting system, meaning you'll be working with only the best sustainability freelancers. 

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Depending on the complexity of the assignment and the size of the company, an interim Sustainability Manager can also take on roles such as:

• Sustainability Coordinator
• Head of Sustainability
• Sustainability director
• Sustainability project manager