From data collectors to transition brokers

The Pivot colleague Christina Ameln writes of the ever-evolving role of a head of sustainability.

I’ve always believed sustainability shouldn’t sit in a corner office or rest on one person’s shoulders. It needs to be woven into how organisations think, decide, and operate. In many ways, transition brokers have always been there - the people quietly bridging ambition and action, making sure strategy becomes reality. Yet more and more sustainability roles are becoming focused on data collection and reporting - important, yes, but only part of the puzzle. Without strategic, cultural, and operational embedding, we risk turning sustainability into a numbers exercise instead of real change.

Over coffee today with John Thwaites, a leading voice on sustainability and Chair at Monash Sustainable Development Institute and Climateworks Centre, we discussed the idea of 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀. The phrase resonated with me.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 — 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻?

A 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗿 is the bridge between 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Someone who doesn’t just report the numbers, but ensures those numbers drive decisions.

It’s the role that turns sustainability from a separate workstream into a core business strategy, embedded in budgets, product design, supply chain choices, and everyday ways of working. It’s about shifting from tracking change to making change happen.

As we move deeper into the decade of action, maybe we need more of these 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 — not just to measure progress, but to make it happen.

This idea got me thinking - if we had more 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 inside organisations, how much faster could we move from commitments to real change? Would love to hear your perspective and examples. Or should we call it something else?

#sustainabilityleadership #ESGstrategy #systemschange #transitionbrokers #transformation

Managing sustainability is about change management at its core. The data is essential, but without the focus on shifting culture and ways of working, it risks becoming a reporting exercise rather than transformation.

Christina Ameln, The Pivot colleague based in Melbourne Australia, calls herself a connector, thriving on engagement and relationship management.