S1E96: Rise of CSOs or Chief Sustainability Officers

Apr 2, 2023

11:25

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Find out the qualities of a good chief sustainability officer.

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

Climate change and the growing biodiversity crisis are having far reaching impacts on businesses. Governments are adopting tougher regulations, too, and businesses also have to be much more transparent about their environmental footprints and how they plan to improve.

For instance, the Singapore Exchange has mandated climate risk disclosures for listed companies from this year and companies are increasingly rated on their sustainability policies and practices.

Pressure is also coming from investors and consumers who are demanding businesses go green and clean up their supply chains.

That’s where chief sustainability officers, or CSOs, come in. They can help firms navigate this changing world and help save corporate reputations – and many companies are finding that going green is good for business.

To find out more about the rise of the CSO, ST's climate editor David Fogarty hosts Ms Cherine Fok. A partner at KPMG Singapore’s environmental, social and governance team, she works closely with firms making the transition.

Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):

3:20 CSOs are change-makers – their key role is to bring the organisation together to drive change

5:04 Qualities of an effective CSO

7:57 Where should a CSO sit within a company?

8:45 Why the CSO role and studying sustainability is crucial for youth and the next generation of business leaders

Produced by: David Fogarty (dfogarty@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim, Eden Soh & Teo Tong Kai

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

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