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| Source: GACSO |
The UK-based
Global Association of Corporate Sustainability Officers (GACSO) held its first event in Brussels last
week. Hosted by Coca-Cola, the “Who will embed
sustainability at the heart of corporate strategy?” event brought together
sustainability professionals to share their experiences.
Following
presentations from sustainability leaders, the audience worked in groups to identify the key skills
and competences of Corporate Sustainability Officers (CSO). Applying sustainability in a business
context includes turning ‘grey zone’ uncertainties
into ‘black and white’ certainties for Corporate Financial Officers and technicians
to help them understand and incorporate sustainability information into their
reports, they said.
Corporate
Sustainability Officers say they need to be “pushy but nice” or “patient but
stubborn” and showed that a CSO, as well as being a visionary, also needs to be
a diplomat. Patrick McGuirk,
Coca-Cola’s Recycling Director and Mat Roberts from Ecosystem Services Landmarc were there to make the
case. McGuirk stated strongly “Without
leadership from above, don’t even bother” and Roberts recommended that CSOs
should know their business well and speak its language.
The definition
of sustainability was once again at the core of the conversation and depending
on the sector they represented - business, association, NGO or academia - the
participants argued for different variations. Gwyn Jones from GACSO offered a short, easy to remember
definition quoting Newcastle University.
“Enough for all, forever” seemed to sum up everything.
Blog by Zoe Volioti
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