The Criteria

The CSO Awards are honouring North American Chief Sustainability Officers and equivalent roles driving corporate sustainability for major companies in USA and Canada, with high, scalable impact. The requirements below are the mandatory factors for eligibility into the Futur/io TOP 100 CSO list and further nomination and winners for the CSO Awards North America.
In order to include the human factor for these CSO Awards, this criteria was developed in collaboration with multiple actors within academia, research and analytical tools - plus collaboration with advisors and members of the Grand Jury from previous editions.
Main partners include Leonardo Centre at Imperial College Business School as our scientific partner, Denominator as our knowledge partner, specialised in human-centric data, and Rainforest Partnership as our knowledge partner, focused on Biodiversity.
Selection Process
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Selection Process
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(Chapter 1)

Selection of the TOP 100 CSOs
TOP 100 Eligibility Requirements
The indicators below were used to select the TOP 100 CSOs:
01. Company Level
  • Over $1 Billion 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 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.
02. CSO Level
  • We consider the job titles of Chief Sustainability Officer or equivalent, operating a C-level or direction 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), and still working at the company on the day of the Awards.
  • Thought leadership ranked by the numbers of followers on LinkedIn and public appearances.

(Chapter 2)

Identification and selection of 20 Nominees
Criteria to Select 20 Nominees
Futur/io conducts an in-depth analysis of 100 companies and CSOs, utilising a science-based model with four dimensions to evaluate and rank them. Through this process, each entity/CSO is assigned 9 numerical data scores based on these 4 dimensions. These scores contribute to a comprehensive ranking system used to select the top 20 Nominees.

To establish our ranking, we have utilised a science and behaviour maturity model, an external ESG rating system, research on social and environmental impact, and surveys/self-assessments. These four dimensions translate into 9 data scores, enabling us to rank and identify the top 20 nominees for further consideration.

The four Dimensions analysed and scored are as follows:
01. Science & Behaviour based Maturity Index - Imperial College (External Research Based)

The Leonardo Centre at Imperial College has created a comprehensive global dataset that analyses corporate sustainability behaviours, enabling a thorough assessment of the maturity levels of the top 100 companies. Utilising this dataset, the Impact Maturity Index ranks companies within various sectors and geographies, providing valuable insights into their sustainability performance.

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Imperial College has recently released a detailed white paper presenting the maturity matrix and the evolving role of Chief Sustainability Officers. This comprehensive resource is now available for download here, providing valuable insights into the increasing importance of sustainability leadership in organisations.

02. ESG Qualitative Rating (External Research Based)

By utilising publicly available ESG Ratings, we evaluate companies that are exceeding regulatory requirements in their advancements on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria. With this, we identify companies that demonstrate ambitious plans for achieving Net-Zero emissions and beyond, showcasing a fearless and innovative approach to driving transformative change.

03. Planet (Internal & External Research Based) & People (External Research Based)

Futur/io trained an AI tool to analyse 100 sustainability reports from chosen companies, extracting pertinent information on Greenhouse Gas emissions, Biodiversity measures, and Water usage. Additionally, the partner Rainforest Partnership carried out an in-depth analysis on the tropical rainforest ecosystem impact of each company. Finally, the partner Denominator created a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) matrix score and the partner Rainforest Partnership created a matrix score for rainforest impact to assess relevant data in these areas. After that, scores are assigned for these five impact areas (GHG, Biodiversity, Water, DEI and Rainforest Impact), which will collectively form the final score for that dimension.

04. Survey & Self-Assessment (Internal Research Based)

Based on external ESG Ratings and the Imperial College Maturity Index, we have developed a Survey & Self-Assessment, and have invited the top 100 CSOs to take part in it. The Survey responses will generate a score that will be included in the final ranking.

The nine data scores utilised to rank and select the 20 nominees are as follows:

— Imperial College Maturity Index Score
— ESG Qualitative External Score
— GreenHouse Gas Score
— Biodiversity Score
— Water Score
— DEI Score
— Tropical Rainforest Industry Impact Index Score
— Futur/io Survey Score
— Imperial College Survey Score

For each of the data scores will be given a specific weight that will contribute to the final score per CSO/company. The specific balance of weights given to each data score was balanced with our scientific and knowledge partners and remains confidential to preserve the integrity of future CSO Awards.

(Chapter 3)

Selection of the Awards Winners and Special Mentions by the Grand Jury
CSO Awards Judging Criteria
The CSO Awards winners will be selected by the Grand Jury members based upon the comprehensive ranking process represented above, plus their own expert experience to stay within the mission of highlighting the human factor. 

Our Grand Jury will be announced separately, and is composed of thought leaders in sustainability that will provide their personal contribution by integrating quantitative insights for each CSO and company.
“Our mission for the CSO Awards North America goes beyond rewarding the companies. We shine a light on the role of the Chief Sustainability Officers that are active change-makers fostering action and ambition across their organisations.

The purpose of having a Jury in our CSO Awards is to integrate the human factor into the evaluation criteria for our CSO Awards can help to identify and promote CSOs who are not only effective sustainability leaders, but also empathetic, innovative, and capable of fostering positive change within their organisations and beyond.”

Harald Neidhardt

CEO & Curator, Futur/io Institute

Have a question?

If you have any questions or require further instructions or information, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Luciana Prestes
Head of Marketing, Futur/io Institute
luciana@futur.io