Meet the Honorees: Nikos Avlonas, President, CSE

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Nikos avlonasThe Environment+Energy Leader Honoree program is an annual list that recognizes the environment and energy “doers” who break trail in creating new solutions, programs, platforms, best practices and products to help their companies – or other companies – achieve greater success in commercial and industrial environment and energy management. Meet the Honorees… is an ongoing series that will feature one E+E Honoree from 2022 each week. See the complete list of 2022 Honorees here.

Meet Nikos Avlonas, president of the Center for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE), a training and consulting firm that supports companies and organizations worldwide to help improve their business performance and maximize their social, economic and environmental impact through the integration of ESG principles.

What is your biggest business challenge?

Nikos Avlonas: The biggest challenge we have faced is to provide the necessary specialized knowledge and skills to C-Suite executives and managers on key issues of sustainability and climate change. With the growing need to integrate sustainability principles into their strategy and culture, companies are struggling to improve their business performance by transforming their business model and taking into account the new legislation and the new requirements by stakeholders. This year we are celebrating the certification of 8,000 practitioners from 90 countries and 5 continents, the largest community of sustainability professionals in the world.

What was a successful project or implementation you worked on at your company that you can share?

NA: To help companies on difficult diverse projects aiming to increase their sustainability/ESG performance and minimize their environmental footprint, CSE has designed and delivered for the past 15 years its globally established Certified Sustainability/ESG Practitioners Program and Sustainability Academy Certified Courses. Our certified programs, delivered by CSE’s experienced trainers, provide the latest practical tools and resources required to implement or upscale corporate sustainability, improve a company’s ESG ratings in order to drive corporate initiatives to the next level by generating value, and creating successful ESG and sustainability strategies.

With its flagship Certified Sustainability (ESG) Practitioner Program, CSE is offering all the necessary knowledge and practical tools needed to overcome business challenges and make a positive social and environmental impact. CSE has certified more than 8,000 practitioners including practitioners from 90% of the FT global 500 firms and Governmental organizations such as NASA, US Forest Service, and European Investment Bank.

What trends do you expect to see in the market in the next few years? What challenges will the industry face and what technologies or organizational changes will overcome them?

NA: From our annual research in North America we have identified the following eight key sustainability, net zero and circular economy trends:

1. Net zero emissions: Zero emissions will not only relate to reducing carbon in the atmosphere, but also to a wider transformation of the business model. Already one fifth of the largest 2,000 public traded companies have committed to net zero targets.

2. Fossil fuels de-investments and renewable energy: Reducing emissions remains a top priority for all stakeholders.

3. Incorporating circular economy and ambitious ESG goals: This requires corporate leadership, sophisticated ESG strategies and skillsets for delivering the anticipated results.

4. Increased focus on the S (social) of ESG: It is obvious that considering social risks can made a difference in improving financial resilience. Investors will be taking a closer look at diversity, inclusion, and other current social issues.

5. Improved ESG data: The role of ESG information will also continue to grow, and its influence on sustainability valuations, overview, and risk assessment will be strengthened. Continued ESG training of C-Suite Executives is critical for maintaining tangible results and credible communication of progress on ESG matters.

6. Measuring biodiversity impacts: It is now obvious that the impacts to our way of life and global economies are equally important to those of climate change.

7. Generation Z sustainable lifestyle: Consumers will continue to push for more sustainable products as Gen Z joins the workforce and gains more purchasing power.

8. Greenwashing scrutiny: There is a growing need for companies to demonstrate real action and be more transparent.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

NA: We strongly believe that continued education for Sustainability, ESG, and circular economy for C-suite executives and managers is critical for maintaining tangible results and change organizations from the inside. CSE’s goal is to certify 20,000 professionals by the end of 2025, as we make an effort to make our planet more sustainable.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikos-avlonas-81ab3410

Editor’s note: nominations are now open for this year’s E+E Honorees. Nominate a colleague — or yourself — for the 2022 E+E Honoree list today.

Environment + Energy Leader