Top 10: Sustainability Leaders in Energy

Almost all industries are reliant on energy, from manufacturing to transportation. 

Reaching net zero is vital for both people and the planet, but without transitioning to low carbon energy sources this could prove impossible.

It’s not just Scope 2 emissions from purchased energy – on-site energy consumption and production falls under Scope 1 and all other indirect emissions, such as fuel used in business air travel, are in Scope 3. 

The world’s biggest companies, including oil and gas giants, are exploring more sustainable solutions to help bring the world towards net zero. 

Sustainability leaders in energy are taking these efforts to new heights through investing in innovative technologies and, of course, low carbon energy solutions like renewables.

We have ranked 10 of the top sustainability leaders in energy making a difference to industries around the world.

10. Agustín Delgado

Role: Chief Innovation and Sustainability Officer
Company: Iberdrola

Agustín has worked across the energy and rail sectors throughout his career and joined Iberdrola in 2006 as Innovation Director. He took on the sustainability function in 2010 and is responsible for the company’s venture capital programme.

He explains: “One of the things we have learned is that technology is not a problem. 

“We used to think in a linear way but technology is evolving more exponentially and so we need to think in an exponential way, and we also need to be very focused on action. 

“With this, we want to be one of the companies that is in a leading position to embrace and promote this change.”

9. Kara Hurst

Role: Chief Sustainability Officer
Company: Amazon

Kara joined Amazon in 2014 and leads the sustainability strategy of the world’s largest online retailer. Amazon is also the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, with more than 600 projects worldwide.

“Amazon isn’t just the top corporate purchaser of solar and wind, we’re also prioritising projects in the locations where they can have the biggest impact on curbing emissions and improving the local environment,” Kara says. 

“When it comes to addressing climate change, speed and location matter. 

“From collaborating on new energy policies, to accelerating renewables in underserved regions, Amazon is working to help decarbonise grids around the world as quickly as possible.”

8. Roger Martella

Role: Executive Vice President, Chief Corporate Officer
Company: GE Vernova

Previously GE Vernova’s first CSO following GE’s split in 2024, Roger now heads up GE Vernova as Executive Vice President, Chief Corporate Officer. Although not a sustainability leader by title, Roger’s career is steeped in sustainability and this is a personal passion that ripples through all of his work.

In an interview in the upcoming February edition of Energy Digital, and speaking off the back of the release of GE Vernova’s first annual sustainability report, Roger says: “Sustainability is core to what we do. Our business purpose is a sustainability purpose – they're one and the same.

“Like other companies we have a 2050 net zero target, but we don't think that's enough. Instead, we think creatively about how we can reflect some metrics that would demonstrate progress sooner this decade. 

“How can we show that we can make progress to put more capacity on the grid, but improve the trajectory of climate change?”

7. Melanie Nakagawa

Role: Chief Sustainability Officer
Company: Microsoft

With more than two decades of environmental expertise, Melanie accelerates Microsoft’s ambitious goals to become carbon negative by 2030, water positive and zero waste. 

Although a giant in the technology sphere, Microsoft has a large presence in the energy space and is working to curb soaring Scope 3 emissions.

Under Melanie’s leadership, Microsoft is connecting technological innovation with environmental responsibility, positioning Microsoft at the forefront of corporate sustainability efforts.

She has experience working in both public and private sectors — something she leverages to transform Microsoft’s approach to sustainability by integrating innovative technologies, promoting renewable energy, and leading global climate initiatives.

“The private sector has unique resources that can support trailblazing initiatives to combat climate change and lead the world out of the climate crisis,” she says.

6. Katherine Neebe

Role: Chief Sustainability Officer
Company: Duke Energy

Katherine Neebe, Duke Energy’s CSO and SVP Sustainability, Policy and Philanthropy, is a stand-out leading figure in driving environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility.

No stranger to the evolving role of the CSO, Katherine has significantly impacted the company's sustainability initiatives, solidifying her reputation as a visionary leader in the energy sector.

“The clean energy transition is something that sustainability professionals have been talking about for decades,” she says. “But it’s here now, and I’m fortunate to have a front row seat to help make it happen.”

5. Matthew Bateson

Role: Chief Climate and Sustainability Officer
Company: Aramco

Despite being the world’s largest oil company when it comes to daily liquids production, Aramco leverages its sheer size, scale and market position to drive sustainability.

Chief Climate and Sustainability Officer Matthew spearheads Aramco’s ambitious goal of achieving net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050, which aligns with Saudi Arabia’s wider 2060 net zero target. 

He says: “Aramco’s new US$1.5bn sustainability fund plans to invest in the development and maturing of technologies to support companies with the energy transition, removing carbon along the value chain.”

As well as this, his career in sustainability at companies including Rio Tinto, WBCSD and IETA — as well as working at Shell — helps drive Aramco’s innovative initiatives like carbon capture and storage projects, mangrove preservation and blue ammonia production.

4. Anna Borg

Role: CEO
Company: Vattenfall

The Lifetime of Achievement in the soon-to-be-released February edition of Energy Digital, Anna is driving sustainability in the energy sector through ambitious net zero targets by 2040. 

She leads significant renewable energy projects, including offshore wind farms and exploring nuclear and hydropower opportunities. As well as this, Anna champions industry collaboration, focusing on reducing carbon emissions across the entire supply chain and developing fossil-free technologies. 

Under her leadership, Vattenfall has become a key player in the energy transition, balancing innovative approaches with strategic risk management. 

“For more than 100 years, we have helped electrify industry and have supplied energy to people's homes, as well as modernising the way of living through innovation and cooperation,” she says.

“Vattenfall is aiming for net zero in our full value chain by 2040, which means both eliminating our own emissions as well as helping other sectors, our partners and customers do the same. 

“It’s a tough challenge I would encourage more companies to take on.”

3. Chris Leong

Role: Chief Sustainability Officer
Company: Schneider Electric

Taking to her post at the start of 2025, Chris was appointed CSO of Schneider Electric to “advance the company’s sustainability commitments and goals, continuing to strengthen its leadership position in the field”.

Schneider Electric, the most sustainable company in the world, has been innovating energy safety for more than a century and its products have a profound impact on the energy industry.

Chris describes herself as “passionate about ESG (and UNSDG) for a sustainable and equitable future for business, customers, employees, communities and the environment” and is set to inject her personal passions into her sustainability leadership at Schneider.

She says: “It’s an incredible privilege to be given this opportunity to take the amazing foundation built on Sustainability for over 20 years at Schneider to the next level, and to learn from the incredibly talented and passionate Schneider Sustainability team and community around the world.”

2. Adam Elman

Role: Director of Sustainability, EMEA
Company: Google

Despite being a technology giant, Google plays a significant role in both the energy and sustainability spaces. As well as being one of the most energy efficient companies in the world, Google is a leader in energy sustainability thanks to its efforts to reduce emissions, using renewable energy and improving energy efficiency for its own facilities as well as that of its clients.

Its energy usage is pretty high, too, with reports indicating that Google consumed 24TWh of electricity in 2023.

Adam is Google’s Director of Sustainability across EMEA and has sustainability experience spanning two decades. As well as this, he is a vocal sustainability advocate at sustainability events and online, speaking up on topics such as plastic, transport, recycling and mobility.

He told Sustainability Magazine backstage at Sustainability LIVE: London: “We're all learning on sustainability. We're all at slightly different places on the journey, but we're always learning. 

“We're always trying to figure out the things that we need to do. How can we go faster? I think it's a constant learning journey.

“Sustainability is a challenging journey and unfortunately none of us are moving quickly enough. The science is really clear, which is why it's really important that we all come together as businesses and as other organisations to figure out how we can collaborate, how we can accelerate and as I say, from a Google perspective, we can put a lot of tools and solutions using AI that can really accelerate that journey.”

1. Eirini Etoimou

Role: Head of Corporate Sustainability & Supply Chain Development Director
Company: ​​​​​​​Sellafield

Led by its purpose, ‘creating a clean and safe environment for future generations’, Sellafield is a nuclear decommissioning company. Its primary mission is to manage the decommissioning of the Sellafield nuclear facility in Cumbria, England.

Its Head of Corporate Sustainability and Supply Chain Development Director Eirini exemplifies energy and sustainability leadership. By combining strategic thinking, industry expertise and a strong commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, Eirini has established herself as a stellar leader in sustainability and energy, driving significant change within Sellafield Ltd and the broader nuclear industry.

Speaking at Sustainability LIVE: London last year, Eirini said: “We cannot say that we are role models if we don’t have other role models around us. 

“We cannot seek for efficiencies if we don’t have an efficient supply chain.”

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