Why CSOs must move beyond carbon to lead on water, waste and plastics
The role of the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) has evolved dramatically over the past decade. While carbon emissions tracking and reduction remain foundational to sustainability strategy, today's CSO must orchestrate a more comprehensive approach that encompasses water stewardship, waste management and plastics reduction with the same rigor and strategic thinking applied to emissions reduction.
The narrow focus on carbon alone, while critically important, represents an incomplete approach to corporate sustainability. Companies that limit their sustainability lens to emissions tracking miss significant operational efficiencies, regulatory risks and stakeholder expectations that span the full spectrum of environmental impact.
Why water management belongs on the CSO agenda
Water scarcity affects nearly 40% of the global population and this figure is projected to worsen significantly by 2030. For the CSO, water management represents both a material risk and a competitive opportunity that demands the same systematic approach as carbon management.
Unlike emissions, which can often be offset or mitigated through technological solutions, water dependencies are location-specific and immediate. A semiconductor manufacturer in Arizona faces fundamentally different water challenges than a beverage company in Bangladesh, yet both require comprehensive water strategies that go beyond simple consumption metrics.
The strategic CSO develops water management frameworks that include watershed-level analysis, supply chain water risk assessment and water quality impact measurement. This means tracking not just how much water the company uses, but understanding the local water stress conditions, seasonal availability patterns and the quality of water returned to local ecosystems.
Leading companies are implementing water accounting systems that mirror their carbon accounting sophistication. They're establishing water reduction targets, investing in water recycling technologies and engaging with local communities on watershed protection initiatives. Some are even pursuing water-positive goals, where they contribute more clean water to local systems than they consume.
Waste as a design challenge, not an operational afterthought
The traditional approach to waste management treats it as an end-of-pipe problem: products are designed, manufactured, sold and used, with waste management becoming someone else's concern. The strategic CSO reframes waste as a design and business model challenge that requires upstream thinking and systemic solutions.
This shift in perspective transforms waste from a cost center to a value creation opportunity. Companies implementing circular economy principles under CSO leadership are discovering new revenue streams through material recovery, finding cost savings through design optimisation and building customer loyalty through take-back programs.
The CSO's waste strategy must encompass the entire product lifecycle, from raw material selection through end-of-life management. This includes establishing waste reduction targets that are as rigorous as emissions targets, implementing design for circularity principles and developing partnerships across the value chain to close material loops.
Effective waste management also requires the same data infrastructure and measurement systems that support emissions tracking. Companies need real-time visibility into material flows, waste generation patterns and diversion rates across all operations. This data enables the identification of hotspots, the tracking of improvement initiatives and the communication of progress to stakeholders.
The plastics challenge
Plastic pollution represents one of the most visible and urgent environmental challenges facing businesses today. The CSO's approach to plastics cannot be limited to simple substitution strategies or recycling initiatives. It requires a fundamental rethinking of packaging systems, supply chain relationships and customer engagement models.
The complexity of the plastics challenge demands the same systems thinking that effective carbon strategies require. Single-use plastic reduction targets must be balanced against product protection requirements, transportation efficiency considerations and customer convenience expectations. The CSO must address trade-offs between different environmental impacts, ensuring that plastic reduction efforts don't inadvertently increase carbon emissions or food waste.
Successful plastics strategies require collaboration across the entire value chain. This means working with suppliers to develop alternative packaging solutions, engaging with customers to shift behavior patterns and partnering with waste management companies to improve collection and processing systems. Some companies are investing in advanced recycling technologies or supporting the development of biodegradable alternatives.
The measurement challenge for plastics is particularly complex because impact occurs across multiple environmental systems. The CSO must track not just the quantity of plastic used, but its fate after use, its impact on marine ecosystems and its contribution to microplastic pollution. This requires new metrics and measurement approaches that go beyond traditional waste tracking.
Integration requires a new approach
The most sophisticated CSOs recognise that water, waste, plastics and emissions are interconnected challenges that require integrated solutions. A packaging optimisation initiative might simultaneously reduce plastic use, lower transportation emissions, decrease waste generation and minimise water consumption in manufacturing.
This integration requires new organisational capabilities and measurement systems. Companies need sustainability data platforms that can track multiple environmental indicators simultaneously, identify co-benefits and trade-offs between different sustainability initiatives and provide real-time visibility into environmental performance across all operations.
The strategic CSO also recognises that these environmental challenges are fundamentally business challenges. Water scarcity can disrupt operations and increase costs. Waste generation represents inefficient resource use. Plastic pollution creates brand risk and regulatory exposure. Addressing these challenges requires the same business discipline and strategic thinking that companies apply to financial management or operational excellence.
Building the infrastructure for holistic sustainability
Expanding beyond emissions requires new organisational capabilities and infrastructure investments. CSOs need teams with expertise in water engineering, materials science and waste management, alongside their carbon specialists. They need data systems that can integrate environmental indicators with business metrics. They need supplier engagement programs that address multiple sustainability dimensions simultaneously.
The measurement and reporting infrastructure must evolve to support this expanded scope. While carbon accounting benefits from established protocols and standards, water, waste and plastics measurement often require more customised approaches. CSOs must invest in developing robust measurement methodologies that can provide the transparency and accountability that stakeholders expect.
Supply chain engagement becomes more complex but also more valuable when addressing multiple sustainability dimensions. Companies can leverage their supplier relationships to drive improvements across water use, waste generation, packaging optimisation and emissions reduction simultaneously. This integrated approach often yields better results and stronger supplier buy-in than isolated sustainability initiatives.
The future of CSO leadership
The CSO role is evolving from a specialist position focused primarily on emissions to a strategic leadership role responsible for comprehensive environmental stewardship. This evolution requires new skills, new organisational capabilities and new approaches to stakeholder engagement.
The most effective CSOs of the future will be those who can think systemically about environmental challenges, identify interconnections and trade-offs between different sustainability priorities and drive integrated solutions that create business value while advancing environmental goals.
Water, waste and plastics management are not secondary considerations for the modern CSO. They are strategic imperatives that require the same level of attention, investment and organisational commitment as emissions reduction. Companies that recognise this reality and empower their CSOs to address sustainability holistically will be better positioned to respond to the complex environmental challenges ahead.
The transition from carbon-focused to holistic sustainability requires significant organisational change, but it also represents a significant competitive opportunity. Companies that make this transition successfully will be more resilient, more efficient and better positioned to meet the evolving expectations of customers, investors and regulators.
The time for narrow sustainability strategies has passed. The CSO's mandate must expand to encompass the full spectrum of environmental impact, with water, waste and plastics receiving the same strategic attention and organisational commitment as emissions reduction. This is not just an environmental imperative; it's a business imperative for companies seeking to thrive in an increasingly resource-constrained world.
