As corporate sustainability challenges grow more complex, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) are being hired at record rates. They come from diverse professional backgrounds, underscoring the multidisciplinary nature of the role, and often find themselves navigating uncharted waters, tasked with steering an entire enterprise toward ambitious goals. This mandate demands more than just technical knowledge, it demands leadership, vision, and the ability to inspire change at all levels.

While technical guidance on sustainability is widely available through consultants, vendors, and the scientific community, there remains a significant gap in the transfer of practical wisdom. The Green Seat Guide bridges that gap with insights, strategies, and lessons learned from experienced sustainability executives. The aim of the guide is to accelerate the impact of sustainability leaders, new and experienced, by offering practical guidance and learned wisdom from those who have pioneered the role.

Each chapter focuses on an essential component of the sustainability journey and includes a selection of ready-to-use tools to support the adoption of key ideas and tactics, drawing on the rich insights of those who have navigated this process before. 

Chapter 1 of The Green Seat Guide explores the art of crafting a sustainability strategy and offers tools to support the adoption of key ideas and tactics, while Chapter 2 provides guidance on building a successful, rigorous, and versatile sustainability team. Chapter 3 gives insight into engaging internal stakeholders across all levels of the organization, from front-line employees to middle management to C-suite executives, ensuring that sustainability becomes a shared responsibility. 

Drawing on the collective wisdom of 24 industry-spanning leaders, The Green Seat Guide distills insights that can be applied to any business, equipping newcomers and veterans alike with tools and ideas to transform their organizations and make a lasting impact on our planet’s future.