Chief green officer? Director of sustainability? No matter what you call them, more companies are adding sustainability officers at middle and senior management levels in order to position themselves as environmentally-friendly.

Google has a chief sustainability officer, as do scores of other companies of all sizes. But what do green officers do? It’s hard to say — especially when you’re recruiting for one.

In an interview with the Dallas News, Stephen Stokes, the vice president of business and climate change at AMR Research, said, "There's a pent-up demand in the marketplace for sustainable specialists, but you have to ask who wants them and what does the DNA of a sustainable expert look like? Are they a scientist, a PR specialist, a business consultant? And just where does sustainability reside at organizations?"

Despite these questions, sustainability officers are becoming common fixtures in the hierarchy at some companies. Some focus on cutting capital costs through green measures, while others implement renewable energy plans or recycling initiatives. There does seem to be a rule for this growing profession, though: while sustainability officers have to have passion for environmental issues, they also need to understand the business side of the operation. They have to be able to cut costs and improve sales, just like any chief technology officer or chief accounting officer.

Photo — Theo La Photo