Green Gridlock: Why Sustainability Leaders are Reaching Breaking Point
During my conversations with Chief Sustainability Officers over the past few years, I've been amazed and inspired by their intelligence, drive, and successes in creating commercially successful Sustainability transformations within their organisations.
I have also become increasingly aware of the personal toll resulting from the lack of capacity they operate under.
The New CTO
Chief Sustainability Officers are quickly finding themselves in the same position as Chief Technology Officers before ‘digital-first’ became the expected level for doing business.
Just like CTOs, Sustainability leaders have also been set up on an island in their organisations with minimal funding and even fewer team members.
An Org-Wide Role
They are tasked with de-risking the business’s exposure to climate-related impacts via risk management analysis to determine executive strategy and key metrics, while also engaging with boards to ensure fit-for-purpose governance is in place.
Chief Sustainability Officers are also responsible for transforming their organisation’s energy consumption and energy mix, waste management practices, and total value chain exposure, while leading the preparation for Treasury's upcoming mandatory reporting, commencing 1st July this year for Tier 1 businesses in Australia (500+ employees, or $500m consolidated annual revenue), and described by ASIC's Chair Joe Longo as the ‘biggest change to corporate reporting in a generation’.
The Multi-Stakeholder Pressure
However, Chief Sustainability Officers are shouldering the weight of the world right now. Tasked with guiding corporations towards environmental responsibility, they navigate complex challenges, internal resistance, and often, a stifling lack of progress. This relentless pressure is taking its toll: burnout is rife amongst Sustainability leaders, threatening the very cause they champion.
Sustainable Sustainability
The health and wellbeing of Chief Sustainability Officers has to be a priority for organisations. A healthy and resilient Sustainability leader is a far more effective advocate for sustainability transformation, which is having an increasingly direct impact on the continued commercial success of organisations.
The Burden of Hope
CSOs often enter their roles driven by idealism and a deep desire to make a difference. They are highly successful professionals who envision positive change and a greener future. But reality bites hard. Sustainability initiatives get sidelined by short-term profits and legacy bonus structures, greenwashing runs rampant, and progress feels glacial. This dissonance between aspiration and reality breeds frustration and disillusionment, chipping away at their optimism.
The Sisyphean Struggle
Heads of Sustainability often face internal roadblocks from sceptical colleagues, entrenched business practices, and bureaucratic hurdles can impede even the most well-intentioned plans. Pushing for change in such an environment is like pushing a boulder uphill – exhausting and demoralising. The lack of visible progress and the constant resistance can leave CSOs feeling powerless and ineffective.
The Loneliness of the Green Leader
Leading sustainability within a company can be a lonely journey, where executives often find themselves isolated and navigating uncharted territory without a readily available support network. This lack of shared burden and peer connection can exacerbate feelings of isolation and hinder their ability to cope with the stress.
The Personal Toll of Sustainability
The chronic stress and emotional drain of their role can manifest in various ways for Sustainability leaders. Sleepless nights, burnout-induced illnesses, and strained personal relationships are not uncommon. The very passion that drew them to the role can become a double-edged sword, leading to self-neglect and compromised wellbeing.
Breaking the Cycle
To stem the tide of Sustainability leader burnout, a multi-pronged approach is needed. Companies must offer robust internal and external support systems, providing access to mental health resources and peer mentoring programmes. Fostering a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility can reduce the burden on the CSO and facilitate commercial progress for the wider business.
Finally, recognising and prioritising the wellbeing of these changemakers is crucial. Burnout amongst CSOs is a wake-up call. It's a reminder that even the most passionate Sustainability leaders need support and care. By addressing the root causes and nurturing these vital leaders, we will ensure they're equipped to create a sustainable future without sacrificing their own mental and physical health.