Steffen Müller - SEP Case Story

Steffen Müller, SEP, Principal Solutions Consultant for Climate & Sustainability Management at Salesforce; and Sustainability Strategy & Transformation Advisor (Freelancer). In March 2023, ISSP talked to Steffen about his career journey.

What brought you to this moment in your career where the Sustainability Excellence Professional (SEP) credential made sense for you?


The current run in the field of sustainability consulting is huge. Many people do want to work in this area of increasing demand. With that comes a struggle for companies in need of advice to select people with proven expertise. 


I have a background in environmental economics, worked in a biodiversity NGO, and am an expert in sustainability strategy & management. For me, the SEP is a great way to demonstrate this experience and signal my knowledge to potential clients.


SEP's interconnected domains reflect a great deal of knowledge I need on a daily basis: from scientific sustainability concepts, systems thinking, and policy development - over stakeholder engagement, strategy development, and implementation - to measuring sustainability performance, KPIs, and improvement.


How are you putting the knowledge, skills, and ability demonstrated in the SEP to work in your career (or work) today?


SEP's interconnected domains reflect a great deal of knowledge I need on a daily basis: from scientific sustainability concepts, systems thinking, and policy development - over stakeholder engagement, strategy development, and implementation - to measuring sustainability performance, KPIs, and improvement.


In my work as an expert in technological solutions to measure, analyze, and improve the environmental impacts of companies, I am very focused on understanding sustainability data, setting the right goals and ambitions, and creating processes for the best possible decision-making in corporate sustainability. I help companies do things right (efficiency).


In my work as a freelancer for sustainability strategy, I even look at the bigger picture. From co-creating a sustainable corporate vision, over translating it into actionable corporate strategies, to introducing measurable programs of organizational development. I help companies do the right things (effectiveness) for the right reasons (ethics).


For those starting out in the sustainability field, what advice do you have for them?


Passion: find your reason why you want to work in sustainability. Your real, true, personal reason. Your why. This reason will light the fire in you that keeps you going even through challenging times. 


Education: dive deep into the science of climate and sustainability. Leverage the wealth of free online resources and also curated content provided by ISSP.


Network: leave your bubble and be courageous to connect to people you don't know. Connect to corporate sustainability managers, NGOs, scientists, standard-setting experts, policy professionals, professors, biologists... Use networks like LinkedIn. Learn about their work and experience. Start sharing and contributing content yourself. Together, we are many. Reach out to me to on LinkedIn.

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