Management & LeadershipISCO 1213
Sustainability manager
A sustainability manager is a person who answers for the sustainable character of an organisation's business processes. The manager helps design and implement the plans and measures that bring production processes and products into line with the environmental regulations and the social responsibility standards that apply, and monitors and reports on how the sustainability strategies are being implemented across the supply chain and the business process.
Check yourself in a minute: sustainability manager
Rate 5 of the 47 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
ensure compliance with environmental legislation
forecast organisational risks
perform risk analysis
carry out training in environmental matters
assess the life cycle of resources
About sustainability manager
Analysis is the starting point. The manager examines the production processes, the use of materials, the reduction of waste, energy efficiency and the traceability of products, in order to limit the impact on the environment and on society. Each of these areas is examined for compliance with the environmental legislation in force.
In practice, the manager works to use durable materials and components, to manufacture sustainable products, and advises on sustainability solutions.
Reporting is where the role is held to account. The manager works from the global sustainability reporting standards and from environmental law, anticipates organisational risk, applies risk management, and monitors the social impacts. The stated aim reaches further than compliance: building the sustainability aspects into the company's culture.
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (47)
environmental policyenvironmental policyLocal, national and international policies dealing with the promotion of environmental sustainability and the development of projects which reduce negative environmental impact and improve the state o...green computinggreen computingThe use of ICT systems in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner, such as the implementation of energy-efficient servers and central processing units (CPUs), reduction of resources and ...sustainable technologiessustainable technologiesTechnologies with the aim of reducing environmental and ecological risks, achieving at the same time, a positive economic, social, and environmental impact. They are innovative technologies designed t...climate change impactclimate change impactThe impact of climate change on biodiversity and life conditions for plants and animals.sustainable financesustainable financeThe process of integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations when making business or investment decisions, leading to increased longer-term investments into sustainable economi...circular economycircular economyThe circular economy aims to keep materials and products in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them while in use and recycling them at the end of their life cycle. It impro...emission standardsemission standardsThe legal limitations of the amount of pollutants that can be emitted into the environment. The EU legislative framework regulating emission standards for driving vehicles.waste managementwaste managementThe methods, materials and regulations used to collect, transport, treat and dispose of waste. This includes recycling and monitoring of waste disposal. It excludes procedures related to waste inciner...global standards for sustainability reportingglobal standards for sustainability reportingThe global, standardised reporting framework that enable organisations to quantify and communicate about their environmental, social and governance impact.hazardous waste typeshazardous waste typesThe different types of waste which poses risks to the environment or public health and safety, such as radioactive waste, chemicals and solvents, electronics, and mercury-containing waste.corporate social responsibilitycorporate social responsibilityThe handling or managing of business processes in a responsible and ethical manner considering the economic responsibility towards shareholders as equally important as the responsibility towards envir...risk managementrisk managementThe process of identifying, assessing, and prioritising of all types of risks and where they could come from, such as natural causes, legal changes, or uncertainty in any given context, and the method...environmental legislationenvironmental legislationThe environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.green building standardsgreen building standardsThe guidelines on how to design and construct sustainable buildings. They follow the criterion of mitigating the environmental impact of buildings while promoting green practices among the occupants.energy efficiencyenergy efficiencyField of information concerning the reduction of the use of energy. It encompasses calculating the consumption of energy, providing certificates and support measures, saving energy by reducing the dem...alternative energyalternative energySources of energy that do not originate from fossil fuels and have few greenhouse emissions.environmental management standardsenvironmental management standardsThe requirements for an organisation to implement the environmental management system in order to enhance its environmental performance such as ISO 14001.resource-efficient technologiesresource-efficient technologiesSustainable technologies which allow to produce more value using limited resources while reducing the impact on the environment, restraining the risks of scarcity.sustainability consultingsustainability consultingThe consulting approach that is used to help businesses to know more about their sustainability impact and implement strategies to become eco-friendly and efficient.environmental designenvironmental designThe approach that is used to face environmental problems related to buildings, plans, and products in various fields such as engineering, interior design and architecture.energy conservationenergy conservationThe practice of reducing energy consumption and using fewer energy services. As a sustainable process, energy conservation is done by replacing used energy with alternative sources, using more efficie...environmental management monitorsenvironmental management monitorsThe hardware and equipment suitable for measurement and live monitoring of environmental parameters.corporate sustainabilitycorporate sustainabilityA business practice to conduct long-term sustainable growth by seeking environmental, economic, and social strategies as its three main pillars.ensure compliance with environmental legislationensure compliance with environmental legislationMonitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation....forecast organisational risksforecast organisational risksAnalyse the operations and actions of a company in order to assess their repercussions, possible risks for the company, and to develop suitable strategies to address these.perform risk analysisperform risk analysisIdentify and assess factors that may jeopardise the success of a project or threaten the organisation's functioning. Implement procedures to avoid or minimise their impact.carry out training in environmental matterscarry out training in environmental mattersPerform staff training and ensure all members of the workforce understand how they can contribute to improved environmental performance.assess the life cycle of resourcesassess the life cycle of resourcesEvaluate the use and possible recycling of raw materials in the whole product life cycle. Consider applicable regulations, such as the European Commission's Circular Economy Policy Package.advise on sustainable management policiesadvise on sustainable management policiesContribute to planning and policy development for sustainable management, including input in environmental impact assessments.monitor social impactmonitor social impactMonitor the practices of organisations and companies with regard to ethics and impact on the larger community.use sustainable materials and componentsuse sustainable materials and componentsIdentify, select environmentally friendly materials and components. Decide on the substitution of certain materials by the one that are environmentally friendly, maintaining the same level of function...conduct quantitative researchconduct quantitative researchExecute a systematic empirical investigation of observable phenomena via statistical, mathematical or computational techniques.promote environmental awarenesspromote environmental awarenessPromote sustainability and raise awareness about the environmental impact of human and industrial activity based on the carbon footprints of business processes and other practices.evaluate company needsevaluate company needsAnalyse, understand and interpret a company's needs to determine the actions to be taken.analyse supply chain strategiesanalyse supply chain strategiesExamine an organisation's planning details of production, their expected output units, quality, quantity, cost, time available and labour requirements. Provide suggestions in order to improve products...produce sustainable productsproduce sustainable productsManufacture goods in a sustainable manner throughout the product lifecycle which involves promoting social responsibility, conserving resources, and minimizing negative environmental impacts.analyse business requirementsanalyse business requirementsStudy clients' needs and expectations for a product or service in order to identify and resolve inconsistencies and possible disagreements of involved stakeholders.manage environmental management systemmanage environmental management systemDevelop and implement an environmental management system.advise on corporate social responsibilityadvise on corporate social responsibilityInform others about the social responsibility of companies and organisations in society and advise about matters to prolong their sustainability.lead the sustainability reporting processlead the sustainability reporting processOversee the process of reporting on the sustainability performance of the organisation, according to established guidelines and standards.coordinate environmental effortscoordinate environmental effortsOrganise and integrate all environmental efforts of the company, including pollution control, recycling, waste management, environmental health, conservation and renewable energy.advise on carbon emissions reductionadvise on carbon emissions reductionGive companies advice on reducing industry carbon emissions, identify incentives, and keep them to date with carbon emissions regulations and policies, as well as with innovative reduction methods.mitigate waste of resourcesmitigate waste of resourcesEvaluate and identify opportunities to use resources more efficiently with continuously striving to reduce waste of utilities.measure company's sustainability performancemeasure company's sustainability performanceKeep track of sustainability indicators and analyse how well the company is doing in sustainability performance, in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals or the global standards for sustainabi...manage recycling program budgetmanage recycling program budgetManage the annual recycling program and respective budget of an organisation.advise on sustainability solutionsadvise on sustainability solutionsAdvise companies on solutions to develop sustainable production processes, improve material efficiency and reuse and reduce carbon footprint.assess environmental impactassess environmental impactMonitor environmental impacts and carry out assessments in order to identify and to reduce the organisation's environmental risks while taking costs into account.
Optional (40) — show
energy marketenergy marketThe trends and major driving factors in the energy trading market, energy trades methodologies and practice, and the identification of the major stakeholders in the energy sector.environmental economicsenvironmental economicsThe subfield of economics that studies the efficient allocation of environmental resources to the aim of minimizing the negative impacts on the natural environment.properties of textile materialsproperties of textile materialsThe characteristics and properties of different textile and fabric materials. These include strength, flexibility, elasticity, softness, durability, heat insulation, low weight, water absorbency/repel...urban sustainabilityurban sustainabilityThe branch of urban planning that aims to improve, social, economic and environmental conditions of a city.sustainable agricultural production principlessustainable agricultural production principlesPrinciples and conditions of organic and sustainable agricultural production.project managementproject managementThe discipline of project management, the activities which comprise this area and the variables implied in it, such as time, resources, requirements, deadlines, and responding to unexpected events.thermal treatmentthermal treatmentTechnologies used for the treatment and processing of waste which involve high temperatures, and the processes involving the combustion of waste materials and energy recovery from waste treatment.green bondsgreen bondsThe financial instruments traded in financial markets that aim at raising capitals for projects with specific environmental benefits.types of plastictypes of plasticTypes of plastic materials and their chemical composition, physical properties, possible issues and usage cases.water reusewater reusePrinciples of water re-use processes in complex circulation systems.green automotive technologiesgreen automotive technologiesTechnologies that allow the development of sustainable practices within the automotive industry. They are focused on lowering the negative effects of this industry on the environment such as air pollu...green building practicesgreen building practicesThe practices involved in the design and creation of building structures in an environmentally responsible, cost effective and resource-effective way. Green building practices such as using eco-friend...chemistrychemistryThe composition, structure, and properties of substances and the processes and transformations that they undergo; the uses of different chemicals and their interactions, production techniques, risk fa...alternative fuelsalternative fuelsFuels or power sources that serve, at least partly, as a substitute in the traditional energy supply to transport such as oil and fossil sources. They have the potential to contribute to decarbonisati...vehicle manufacturing processvehicle manufacturing processSeries of steps taken in order to produce a car or any other motor vehicle such as the design, the chassis and body assembly, the painting process, the interior assembly and the quality control.by-productsby-productsConcepts of by-product and waste. Types of waste and European waste codes industries. Solutions for by-products and wastes recovery, reuse and recycling across different sectors.communication principlescommunication principlesThe set of commonly shared principles in regards with communication such as active listening, establish rapport, adjusting the register, and respecting the intervention of others.train staff to reduce food wastetrain staff to reduce food wasteEstablish new trainings and staff development provisions to support staff knowledge in food waste prevention and food recycling practices. Ensure that staff understands methods of and tools for food r...conduct energy auditconduct energy auditAnalyse and evaluate the energy consumption in a systematic manner in order to improve the energy performance.advise on public relationsadvise on public relationsAdvise business or public organisations on public relations management and strategies in order to ensure efficient communication with target audiences, and proper conveying of information.develop hazardous waste management strategiesdevelop hazardous waste management strategiesDevelop strategies which aim to increase the efficiency in which a facility treats, transports, and disposes of hazardous waste materials, such as radioactive waste, chemicals, and electronics.design indicators for food waste reductiondesign indicators for food waste reductionDetermine key performance indicators (KPI) for reducing food waste and managing in line with established standards. Oversee the evaluation of methods, equipment and costs for food waste prevention.monitor manufacturing impactmonitor manufacturing impactCheck the impact of manufacturing machinery on the environment, analysing temperature levels, water quality and air pollution.apply systemic design thinkingapply systemic design thinkingApply the process of combining systems thinking methodologies with human-centred design in order to solve complex societal challenges in an innovative and sustainable way. This is most often applied i...promote sustainable packagingpromote sustainable packagingApply safe and healthy packaging policies; maximise the use of recycled or renewable source materials; implement clean production technologies.implement environmental action plansimplement environmental action plansApply plans that address the management of environmental matters in projects, natural site interventions, companies, and others.apply procedures and regulations for eco-labellingapply procedures and regulations for eco-labellingIdentify, select and apply procedures and regulations to verify the compliance of specific requirements of EU eco-labelling.implement sustainable procurementimplement sustainable procurementIncorporate strategic public policy goals into procurement procedures, such as green public procurement (GPP) and socially responsible public procurement (SRPP). Contribute to reducing the environment...analyse environmental dataanalyse environmental dataAnalyse data that interpret correlations between human activities and environmental effects.develop recycling programsdevelop recycling programsDevelop and coordinate recycling programs; collect and process recyclable materials in order to reduce waste.carry out energy management of facilitiescarry out energy management of facilitiesContribute to develop effective strategies for energy management and making sure that these are sustainable for buildings. Review buildings and facilities to identify where improvements can be made in...assess supplier risksassess supplier risksEvaluate supplier performance in order to assess if suppliers follow the agreed contracts, meet the standard requirements and provide the desired quality.search databasessearch databasesSearch for information or people using databases.advise on environmental risk management systemsadvise on environmental risk management systemsEvaluate requirements and advise on systems for environmental risk management. Ensure the customer does his part in preventing or limiting adverse environmental impact through the use of technology. E...conduct research on food waste preventionconduct research on food waste preventionResearch and evaluate methods, equipment and costs for reducing and managing food waste. Monitor recorded measurement data and identify areas for improvement relating to food waste prevention.use specific data analysis softwareuse specific data analysis softwareUse specific software for data analysis, including statistics, spreadsheets, and databases. Explore possibilities in order to make reports to managers, superiors, or clients.perform project managementperform project managementManage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project's progress in order to achieve a specific g...develop food waste reduction strategiesdevelop food waste reduction strategiesDevelop policies such as staff meal or food redistribution to reduce, reuse and recycle food waste where possible. This includes reviewing purchasing policies to identify areas for reducing food waste...advise on waste management proceduresadvise on waste management proceduresAdvise organisations on the implementation of waste regulations and on improvement strategies for waste management and waste minimisation, to increase environmentally sustainable practices and environ...supervise waste water treatmentssupervise waste water treatmentsSupervise waste water treatment according to environmental regulations.
Related Occupations
Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.
environmental programme coordinator14 shared essential skillscorporate social responsibility manager12 shared essential skillsenergy manager9 shared essential skillsenvironmental engineer8 shared essential skillsenvironmental expert8 shared essential skillsenvironmental policy officer7 shared essential skillsenvironmental protection manager7 shared essential skillshealth safety and environmental manager7 shared essential skills
Frequently asked questions
What does a sustainability manager do?
Sustainability managers are responsible for ensuring the sustainability of business processes. They provide assistance in the design and implementation of plans and measures to ensure that the manufacturing processes and products comply with given environmental regulations and social responsibility standards and they monitor and report on the implementation of sustainability strategies within the company supply chain and business process. They analyse issues linked to manufacturing processes, use of materials, waste reduction, energy efficiency and products traceability to improve environmental and social impacts and integrate sustainability aspects into the company culture.
What skills does a sustainability manager need?
A sustainability manager needs 47 essential skills, including environmental policy, green computing, sustainable technologies, climate change impact, sustainable finance.
Will AI replace sustainability manager jobs?
The AI disruption score for sustainability manager is 27/100 (low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: search databases, use specific data analysis software, hazardous waste types. Most resilient: communication principles, green building standards, apply systemic design thinking.
AI Replacement Risk
27/ 100
Low Risk
Low riskHigh risk
Quick Facts
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