An interesting article this week over at Environmental Leader: “Nearly 50% of CFOs Say Sustainability is Key Driver of Financial Performance.” This, from a new survey from Verdantix (conducted on behalf of Deloitte) called “Sustainability: CFOs are Coming to the Table.” They surveyed c-level financial and operations officers in 14 countries and found that “the percentage of CFOs and COOs accountable to their company’s board for sustainability issues nearly doubled from 20 percent to 36 percent in the past year.” Accountability decreased for CEOs during that same period. Concluded Deloitte: “This shift represents a transfer of sustainability authority from ‘face of the brand’ CEOs into the hands of those empowered with operating authority and substantive budgets.”

As a result, CFOs have become increasingly focused on a number of sustainable operating practices, including tax and financial reporting and investments in technology that will further reduce the footprint of company travel and energy use.

It’s also encouraging as this shift moves away from “the face of the brand” is that it’s less likely (though not impossible) to be solely greenwashing, especially if it happens behind the scenes. Of course, the impetus for a lot of this is to reduce costs and run “leaner”—which is great if it can be sustainable and cost-effective at the same time.