The Book That’s Shaping ESG Strategy—Now Globally Recognised

We’re proud to share that Lee Stewart, founder of ESG Strategy, has been honoured with a 2025 Global Recognition Award for his exceptional contribution to sustainability leadership, practical innovation, and thought leadership within the ESG sector.

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This award celebrates Lee’s pioneering development of the Virtual Chief Sustainability Officer (vCSO) model and the impact of his Amazon bestselling book, How to Build

Sustainability into Your Business Strategy. Both have significantly shaped how organisations around the world are rethinking sustainability – not as a compliance burden, but as a core driver of strategy, resilience, and business value.

Published in late 2024, How to Build Sustainability into Your Business Strategy has become one of the most widely used practical ESG guides globally. With over 200 five-star reviews and a consistent 4.8-star rating on Amazon, it has reached executives, educators, consultants, and founders in more than 20 countries. The book is recognised for its clarity, real-world relevance, and ability to simplify ESG without watering it down. It offers a practical, step-by-step framework that helps organisations embed sustainability into strategy at any stage of their journey.

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The Global Recognition Award was adjudicated using the Rasch measurement model – a rigorous methodology that scores applicants across dimensions such as ethical decision-making, innovation, impact, and leadership. Lee received top marks for both ethics and service innovation, reflecting the values that underpin ESG Strategy’s work.

In their remarks, the judges noted:

“Lee Stewart has demonstrated an uncommon ability to turn big, complex ESG challenges into grounded frameworks that businesses can actually use – no matter their size. His clarity, integrity, and practical innovation make this recognition richly deserved.”

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The award also acknowledged the market-leading impact of the vCSO model, a breakthrough in delivering senior-level sustainability expertise virtually. This innovation has enabled hundreds of businesses across sectors and geographies to access strategic ESG leadership at a fraction of traditional costs – unlocking opportunities for growth, funding, and resilience that were previously out of reach.

At ESG Strategy, we believe that sustainability should be ambitious and achievable. Lee’s recognition is a powerful reflection of that mission. It represents not only the impact of his personal leadership, but also the work of a growing community of businesses committed to doing things differently.

To learn more about the book, the vCSO model, or how we help organisations build sustainability into the heart of their strategy, get in touch with us here.

To see a one minute explainer about our innovative vCSO Model here.