Sustainability managers are emerging as the architects of corporate transformation, moving far beyond traditional environmental compliance to become strategic drivers of long-term business value.
These professionals are reshaping how companies operate, from supply chain optimisation to stakeholder engagement, making sustainability a cornerstone of competitive advantage rather than a regulatory burden.
Their role extends far beyond carbon accounting and regulatory adherence. As Maude Rougier, Sustainability Manager at Deimos Group, puts it:
sustainability should be a collective project rather than one department's responsibility.
This fundamental shift reflects how modern organisations recognise sustainability as integral to business success, not an add-on function.
The insights in this article originate from testimonials featured in our “Voices of Sustainability” initiative.
The expanding role of sustainability professionals
Modern sustainability managers wear multiple hats within their organisations, serving as data analysts, strategic advisors, change agents, and communication specialists. Their responsibilities span from carbon accounting to stakeholder engagement, requiring a unique blend of technical expertise and business acumen.
Irina Bolgari, Sustainability Manager at La Prairie Switzerland, captures this reality perfectly:
Not a day is the same in the life of a sustainability manager. Regulatory changes, business changes, people changes, all can have an impact on our work and priorities from one day to the other.
Science-based decision-making forms the foundation of their work. As Plan A's Head of Research and Policy, Dr Dzhordzhio Naldzhiev, explains:
Carbon accounting without scientific evaluation is like a 3D printed house designed with AI that has no foundations.
This scientific rigour ensures credible data underpins all sustainability initiatives.
Dany Leroux, Sustainability Manager at L'Oréal Italia, emphasises the strategic nature of this role:
Sustainability managers must ensure follow-up on company commitments, aligning them with legislation while not limiting their role to simply reporting and meeting legal requirements. Their priority is addressing these elements while continuing to challenge other aspects and ensuring objectives are met.
The profession demands system thinking capabilities that enable professionals to identify interconnections between environmental impact, business operations, and financial performance. Erik Sørensen from Modulex Group highlights this approach:
In my journey at Modulex, I've learned that sustainability managers should focus on strategically integrating sustainability into the company's business model, positioning ESG not as a cost, but as a value driver.
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Strategic priorities for sustainability teams
The sustainability landscape continues to evolve rapidly, with professionals adapting their focus to address both immediate regulatory requirements and long-term strategic positioning. The consensus among industry leaders points to several key priorities.
Christoph Bock from RTL2 recommends "staying the course" despite regulatory uncertainties:
Completing the already well-advanced double materiality analysis, it provides an excellent foundation for building a sustainability strategy or specifically reviewing an existing strategy.
This approach emphasises building robust foundations rather than reacting to short-term market fluctuations.
Giovanni Migliore from Flix (ESG and Sustainability Senior Manager) stresses the importance of comprehensive emissions understanding:
It is fundamental to have a global view of the sources which generate the largest part of company's CO2 emissions, in order to establish a data gathering strategy which ensures both time efficiency and information consistency.
For companies at different maturity levels, priorities vary significantly. Maude Rougier from Deimos Group notes:
For companies like ours at the beginning of their journey, CSRD compliance has been a powerful lever for structuring our approach and providing a clear reading framework and methodology for foundational work on data collection.
The integration imperative emerges as a common theme across testimonials. Irina Bolgari from La Prairie Switzerland advocates for "prioritising the integration of sustainability into core business strategies to remain relevant," whilst Drishti Masand, Senior Manager, Sustainability Direction at adidas AG, focuses on "embedding circularity into core business operations, not just pilot projects."
The communication imperative: Internal and external engagement
Effective communication serves as the foundation for successful sustainability transformation, enabling organisations to build internal buy-in whilst maintaining external credibility. Sustainability professionals must master multiple communication styles to reach diverse stakeholder groups effectively.
Maude Rougier provides a comprehensive framework for sustainability communication:
Communication is everything: People can't engage with what they don't understand, constantly explain approaches and connect actions to bigger objectives. Adapt communication formats: Busy people don't read long emails, use short, fun, accessible videos to share CSR progress regularly. Tailor messages to audiences: Speak differently to financial directors vs. logistics coordinators vs. admin support, identify what matters to each person.
Internal communication strategies require particular attention to cultural transformation. Erik Sørensen describes Modulex's approach:
Training and communicating sustainability internally has been a constant challenge and focus. We provide quarterly training sessions, webinars, blog articles, and multiple communication formats to help our sales teams effectively communicate our sustainability message to the market.
The transformation from departmental responsibility to company-wide commitment represents a critical shift. As Sørensen notes:
By becoming a purpose-driven company in 2024, we've made sustainability our 'North Star,' ensuring that every team member works around this principle.
Building leadership alignment
Securing executive buy-in remains crucial for sustainability programme success. Elena Ricciuti from Holding Industriale emphasises this:
Strong commitment from the CEO and President is essential, they need to truly understand what sustainability means and act as sponsors of the process. Without their support, sustainability risks remaining a side initiative.
The approach requires sustained engagement rather than one-off presentations. Ricciuti describes their methodology:
In the beginning, we held frequent meetings and training sessions with leadership to align on goals, priorities, and the overall strategy. Now, those touchpoints happen monthly, but that early investment in shared understanding was critical.
Overcoming common challenges
Sustainability professionals face unique challenges that require adaptive strategies and resilient mindsets. The most frequently cited obstacles include securing organisational buy-in, managing data complexity, and navigating rapidly changing regulatory landscapes.
Cultural resistance represents a significant barrier. Maude Rougier shares her experience: "My biggest recent challenge has been gaining recognition for the importance of my sustainability role and securing active team engagement." Her solution involves balancing foundational work with visible initiatives:
I try to balance foundational projects with tangible actions like our water fountain initiative, which not only reduces plastic waste visibly but also creates a sense of personal pride among colleagues.
The complexity of global operations adds another layer of difficulty. Dany Leroux from L'Oréal Italia describes adapting to different market contexts:
In Italy, despite high recycling rates, there aren't the same laws as France regarding single-use plastics, EPR, or product destruction. Consumer maturity is also different. My challenge is adapting to this while still carrying the ambitious objectives we've set.
Regulatory uncertainty creates ongoing frustration. Giovanni Migliore from Flix notes:
The main challenge is the uncertainty around the sustainability regulation landscape, which makes it hard for Sustainability Managers to define long-term plans in their activities.
Staying agile emerges as a critical success factor. Irina Bolgari recommends asking:
Given the current circumstances, what is the key thing that I can work on to drive the most impact? Asking this question when shifting priorities happen helps me stay engaged and still focused on areas that have the highest opportunity for impact.
Carbon management excellence
Carbon management sits at the heart of sustainability strategy, requiring sophisticated data collection, analysis, and reduction planning. Modern sustainability managers must navigate complex emissions calculations whilst building actionable decarbonisation pathways.
Giovanni Migliore emphasises the importance of flexible approaches: "A flexible approach, able to work with different data inputs and both actual calculation and assumption, is fundamental." This adaptability proves essential when dealing with diverse data sources and varying levels of supplier engagement.
The role of technology in carbon management cannot be overstated. Plan A's carbon management platform exemplifies how sustainability professionals can leverage sophisticated tools to streamline their work. The platform enables companies to collect data efficiently, measure emissions accurately, and report sustainability performance effectively.
Building internal support networks proves crucial for success. Christoph Bock from RTL2 shares his experience:
I'm fortunate enough to work with a deputy head of controlling and the head of the program distribution and facility services department, both of whom have a strong intrinsic motivation for sustainability. Such colleagues in key positions are crucial. They serve not only as valuable sparring partners for data mapping but also enable the swift and precise collection of sustainability-related data.
Gus Bartholomew from Leafr provides a comprehensive framework for carbon management excellence:
Build a clear carbon data architecture with defined ownership, automated inputs, and quality controls. Apply consistent but flexible methodologies that balance rigour with pragmatism. Use your baseline to drive strategic decisions by mapping emissions hotspots to business levers. Develop a decarbonisation portfolio that prioritises high-impact, feasible actions across the business with clear ROI and accountability.
The integration of carbon management with business strategy represents a sophisticated evolution. Companies like Mollie demonstrate how effective carbon management can enhance business value whilst driving environmental impact. Through their partnership with Plan A, Mollie has achieved comprehensive carbon accounting, enabling them to set decarbonisation targets and reduce their carbon footprint systematically.
Similarly, AMPECO's experience illustrates the strategic value of robust carbon management. Their use of Plan A's platform enabled them to identify that "Scope 3 emissions constitute the vast majority of the company's GHG emissions" and pinpoint their biggest contributors: "data hosting services, various digital tools and services as well as business travel."
Best practices and success frameworks
Successful sustainability teams develop systematic approaches that combine strategic thinking with practical implementation. The most effective professionals establish clear processes whilst maintaining flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances.
Maude Rougier outlines fundamental principles:
The legitimacy of a CSR role is built over time, through listening, education, and tangible proof (even modest) of the impact that implemented changes can have. Don't give up on first rejection: Ideas often face initial resistance due to fear of change or misunderstanding, rework and adapt rather than abandon quickly.
Progress tracking and documentation prove essential for long-term success. Rougier describes her approach:
Every week, I review what I've accomplished and what I need to do the following week. I also keep track of all actions taken, research included, even those that didn't succeed. This makes it easier to concretely measure progress made, and it is especially important for this function where many actions can seem invisible.
The mindset of progress over perfection resonates throughout professional testimonials. Drishti Masand from adidas AG advocates:
I embrace a 'progress over perfection' mindset. In sustainability, there's always a temptation to hold out for the perfect solution, but if we wait for perfection, we risk stalling the momentum we so urgently need.
Collaborative approaches yield the strongest results. Masand shares her success with the Closing the Footwear Loop consortium:
This initiative has already united over 15 global brands, including direct competitors, around a shared goal. It's a strong reminder that sustainability is a team sport, and progress demands pre-competitive collaboration.
The future of sustainability leadership
Sustainability managers are evolving into strategic business partners who integrate environmental and social considerations into core business functions. This transformation reflects a fundamental shift from compliance-focused roles to value-creation positions that drive competitive advantage.
The future points toward increased integration between sustainability teams and other departments. Finance teams increasingly recognise sustainability metrics as material risk factors, whilst supply chain professionals embed environmental criteria into procurement decisions. Sales teams communicate sustainability value propositions, and innovation departments prioritise sustainable product development.
This cross-functional integration creates new opportunities for sustainability professionals to influence business strategy directly. Elena Ricciuti's experience at Holding Industriale demonstrates this evolution:
We've integrated sustainability into the M&A process by getting involved before acquisitions take place, conducting environmental and social due diligence on target companies.
The professionalisation of sustainability continues to accelerate, with formal certification programmes, specialised education, and sophisticated technology platforms enabling more effective practice. Companies like Plan A provide the technical infrastructure that allows sustainability managers to focus on strategic initiatives rather than manual data processing.
Looking ahead, the most successful sustainability managers will be those who can seamlessly blend environmental expertise with business acumen, translating complex sustainability challenges into actionable business strategies that deliver both environmental impact and financial returns.
The transformation of business through sustainability leadership has only just begun, with these professionals positioned to drive the fundamental changes necessary for long-term business resilience and environmental stewardship. Their work today shapes the sustainable economy of tomorrow, making them essential architects of business transformation.
Ready to elevate your sustainability management capabilities? Book a demo with Plan A's experts to discover how our comprehensive carbon management platform can streamline your sustainability initiatives and accelerate your decarbonisation journey.
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