Top 100 Chief Sustainability Officer Shortlist Revealed for USA and Canada 

A list of the 100 leading Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) in the United States and Canada has been released today. Executives stem from a diverse range of industries, including retail, consumer brands, services and technology, underscoring the universality of the sustainability challenge. 

The list has been published by Futur/io Institute, a pioneering organization dedicated to nurturing and inspiring leadership in sustainable innovation and building the most impactful network of CSOs globally. An extensive database was compiled with scientific partner The Leonardo Centre on Business for Society at Imperial College Business School.

Women represent nearly two thirds of the Top 100 CSOs of North America, with 64 women and 36 men featured on the list. US companies are the majority, occupying 91 positions, while Canada has 9 companies present. 

The complete list is available online at the CSO Award North America website.

“We want to shine a light on the importance of these leaders and the role of the CSO. They are breaking new ground in the transition to desirable futures in which business and sustainability thrive together, in synergy” stated Harald Neidhardt, CEO & Curator of the Futur/io Institute. “Every year, we celebrate the most important CSOs in Europe during the World Economic Forum week in Davos. Now, we are bringing the prestigious CSO Awards to Climate Week in New York, to honor the leaders of companies in the United States and Canada.”

To be featured in the Top100 list, the executives must be the highest sustainability representative of the company or group with an executive role, occupy the position for at least a year, and be considered a thought leader. 

At a company level, the list includes companies headquartered in the USA or Canada, with an annual revenue of over $1 billion and at least five thousand employees. Oil and gas companies were not considered, in an effort in line with the recent COP29 of the United Nations Climate Secretariat (UNFCCC) to encourage fast divestment from fossil fuels and resource-heavy industries.

The Futur/io CSO Awards Top 100 List is the first chapter in an initiative that aims to celebrate the leading Chief Sustainability Officers of North America. The CSO Awards will culminate at a gala ceremony in New York City on September 23, during the UN General Assembly and Climate Week. The CSO Awards North America are supported by premium partners IntegrityNext and Celonis.

The Futur/io four-quadrant model was developed in partnership with scientific research partners, such as the Leonardo Centre at Imperial College Business School and Denominator, specialized in human-centric data. Futur/io Institute will narrow down the Top100 list to 20 names, who will be the nominees of the CSO Awards. The final three Award Winners, as well as the special mentions, will be selected by a Grand Jury composed of thought leaders in sustainability and only announced at the gala ceremony.

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Top 100 Eligibility Requirements

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Company Level‍

• Over $1 Billion in annual revenues. The CSO Award focuses on major companies where sustainability practices grant the most impact in reducing emissions and contributing to groundbreaking changes, whilst bearing the most challenges.
• Company headquarters must be based within the USA or Canada.
• Company Headcount +5k employees
• Companies that have published the latest sustainability report by July 2, 2024 (data source must include at least the first quarter of 2023)
• The awards do not include oil & gas, defence, and consulting companies, or related industries.

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CSO Level‍

• We consider the job titles of Chief Sustainability Officer or equivalent, operating a C-level, Vice president or director position.
• Highest sustainability representative of the company or group with executive roles.
• Only one CSO/equivalent role per group or affiliated companies.
• At least one year in the current position to be eligible for further nomination stage (one year before September 1, 2024).
• Thought leadership ranked by the number of followers on LinkedIn and public appearances.