fractional chief sustainability officer
for tourism and hospitality businesses
Strategic sustainability leadership, without the cost of a full-time hire
Sustainability is no longer a side project…
For tourism and hospitality businesses, it touches reputation, regulation, staff engagement, guest expectations, and long-term viability.
Yet many organisations reach a point where:
- sustainability matters deeply, but no one internally has the time, authority, or expertise to lead it properly
- progress feels slow or fragmented
- leadership wants confidence that decisions will stand up to scrutiny
This is where a Fractional Chief Sustainability Officer makes sense.
what i do
I act as a retained strategic sustainability partner - taking responsibility for the direction, prioritisation, and momentum of your sustainability agenda.
Not as an external advisor delivering reports, but as a trusted senior voice embedded alongside leadership.
My role is to help you:
- make clear, defensible sustainability decisions
- focus effort where it will have the greatest impact
- translate ambition into practical action across teams and stakeholders
what this engagement delivers
1. Clear strategic direction
You gain a sustainability roadmap that is realistic, staged and aligned with your business model, brand and operating context - not a generic wish list.
2. Governance, credibility and confidence
Policies, frameworks and decisions that stand up to board scrutiny, awards, certification processes and stakeholder expectations.
You know why you’re doing what you’re doing and what can be deprioritised.
3. Momentum and behaviour change
Regular strategic touchpoints keep sustainability moving forward, even when competing priorities arise (which they will).
This work is as much about people and behaviour as it is about frameworks.
4. A trusted senior advisor
An external perspective leadership can rely on, someone who can say “this matters”, “this doesn’t”, or “this can wait”, with experience to back it up.
How the engagement typically works
Each engagement is tailored, but commonly includes:
Monthly strategic check-ins with leadership
Ongoing guidance on sustainability priorities and
decision-making
Input into policies, frameworks, and key initiatives
Advice on stakeholder engagement, awards, certification, or reporting (where relevant)
On-call strategic support as issues or opportunities arise
This is not task-based or hourly consulting.
The value lies in continuity, judgment and strategic ownership.
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DID YOU KNOW…
Did you know 90% of people want sustainable options
when they travel?
is this right for you?
This engagement is a good fit for you if:
You operate in tourism or hospitality and care genuinely about sustainability
You want progress, not perfection
You value external expertise and honest advice
You’re willing to invest in meaningful, long-term change
It is not a good fit if:
Sustainability is primarily a marketing exercise
You are looking for the lowest-cost compliance solution
There is no leadership buy-in to act on advice
about me
Sarah Rhodes
I’ve spent over 11 years working in sustainability across tourism and hospitality in Australia and Southeast Asia, supporting hundreds of businesses to move from intention to action.
My background spans:
- sustainability strategy and behaviour change
- awards and certification processes
- stakeholder engagement and governance
- working with boutique operators through to larger tourism organisations
My focus is always on practical impact, not box-ticking.
Investment
Annual investment: $36,000 – $48,000 AUD
Structured as a 12-month retainer, paid monthly.
The exact scope and fee depend on organisational size, complexity, and level of involvement required.
Multi-year engagements are welcomed and encouraged.
Optional workshops, assessments, or deeper reporting can be scoped separately if required.
don't just take my word for it! here's what some of my clients have to say:
haven cambodia
Sarah and her team from Plastic Free SEA brought us a whole step further regarding the environmental trainings of our HAVEN family. With PFSEA we have found a dedicated partner who does expert trainings for the whole HAVEN family, helps them develop a deeper understanding for environmental issues and evokes the responsibility to respect, protect and preserve our natural world.
treeline urban resort
Getting them to buy in and empowering them - I was so incredibly proud.
They took it and ran with it and within a couple of weeks we had made significant change, not just in eliminating plastic but many other things as well!
alchemy movement + wellness
What I have most loved about learning from Sarah is her simple, down-to-earth and very practical approach to reducing the amount of plastic we use daily. She encourages awareness, not perfectionism. Her tips and suggestions are always realistic and “do-able”, aimed at making the transition to a plastic-free lifestyle accessible to busy individuals in the modern world.
next steps
If this sounds aligned, the next step is a short conversation to explore:
your current sustainability challenges
what success would look like over the next 12–24 months
whether this model is the right fit
From there, a tailored scope can be confirmed.