Centre for Sustainability and Excellence

What Centre for Sustainability and Excellence does

Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) is a Chicago-headquartered, privately held sustainability education and consulting firm founded in 2005 and operating across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The company delivers three integrated service lines: enterprise ESG, Net Zero, and Climate Resilience consulting delivered through dedicated "Hubs"; a flagship Certified Sustainability (ESG) Practitioner Program offered via live online and in-person cohorts; and the Sustainability Academy e-learning platform, which sells modular online certificates covering SASB/TCFD reporting, ESG impact, carbon reduction strategy, circular economy, and social impact assessment. Underpinning these services is CSE's proprietary "360-Degree Fast Track" methodology, developed over 20 years and applied to more than 120 Fortune companies, together with region-specific curriculum aligned to standards such as GRI, SASB, TCFD, SBTi, ESRS/CSRD, and Canadian frameworks (CSDS, CSSB, Bill S-211).

CSE's business model combines fee-based consulting engagements with recurring revenue from individual certification programs and self-serve e-learning courses, distributed through three parallel channels: direct enterprise field sales, the Sustainability Academy self-serve platform, and a licensed consultant-trainer affiliate network that extends the firm's reach without proportional headcount expansion. The customer base spans enterprise organizations (including ABM, General Motors, Oracle, Pfizer, Resolute Forest Products, and Sun Life), individual professionals seeking formal ESG credentials (over 9,500 certified globally to date), small consulting firms operating as resellers, and a recently engaged startup cohort. Marketing is led by content (blog, video, webinars), an annual World Sustainability Leadership Forum, and active social media presence across LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and YouTube. The firm operates without disclosed external funding and is led by founder and president Nikos Avlonas.

Name

Centre for Sustainability and Excellence

Legal name

Centre for Sustainability and Excellence

Website

https://cse-net.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) is a Chicago-based private sustainability education and consulting firm serving enterprises and individual professionals globally through ESG strategy consulting, the Certified Sustainability Practitioner program, and the Sustainability Academy e-learning platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

ESG Strategy & Materiality Assessment (EUAHAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability, ESG & Climate Risk Advisory (BPAHAJAH), Sustainability & ESG Reporting (GRI/SASB/ISSB/CSRD) (EUAHAJAB), Sustainability, Energy & Environmental (ESG/LEED) Certifications (EDAAANAO)

Keywords

• Sustainability consulting
• ESG training programs
• Corporate sustainability certification
• Carbon reduction advisory
• Circular economy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Certified Training Programs: Revenue generated from certified sustainability practitioner programs delivered via live online sessions and in-person formats. Programs include the flagship Certified Sustainability (ESG) Practitioner Program with specialized editions for consultants and regional cohorts.
2. ESG Consulting Services: Fee-based consulting engagements covering ESG reporting and ratings services, certification and external assurance, impact assessment, strategic planning, circular economy and climate risk services, and sector-specific group trainings for organizations.
3. Online Certificates and E-Learning: Revenue from individual online certificate courses offered through the Sustainability Academy platform, including specialized programs on SASB, TCFD, ESG Impact, Carbon Reduction Strategy, and Circular Economy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) provides ESG strategy, reporting, ratings, and assurance consulting for organizations, alongside a certified sustainability practitioner training program and an e-learning platform (Sustainability Academy). Its services span ESG strategy development, Net Zero carbon reduction planning, circular economy advisory, climate resilience planning, and standards-aligned reporting across GRI, SASB, TCFD, SBTi, ESRS, CSRD, and Bill S-211 frameworks.

Product overview

Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) offers a comprehensive sustainability education and consulting portfolio centered on three core hubs (ESG Hub, Net Zero Hub, and Climate Resilience Hub), professional certification programs, an e-learning platform (Sustainability Academy), and specialized consulting services. The company provides both in-person and online training programs, with over 9,500 certified practitioners globally. The product ecosystem integrates training certifications, online courses, consulting services, and assessment tools designed to help organizations develop ESG strategies, achieve net-zero emissions, and implement circular economy practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sustainability Academy: E-learning platform providing professional training to emerging companies in consulting, technology for sustainability, and AI technology fields.

Products and services

• ESG Hub Consulting Service Educational and advisory service that helps organizations develop comprehensive ESG strategy and integrate ESG practices across operations and supply chain using CSE's 360-Degree Fast Track methodology.
• Net Zero Hub Consulting Service Education and support service for developing carbon reduction strategies and achieving Net Zero emissions, including Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions calculations.
• Climate Resilience Hub Consulting Service Education and support service for developing Climate Resilience plans and Circular Economy strategies aligned with the Green Economy Business Model.
• Certified Sustainability (ESG) Practitioner Program Professional certification program delivered live online and in-person that has certified over 9,500 practitioners globally, with curriculum aligned to ESG frameworks including GRI, SASB, TCFD, SBTi, ESRS, CSRD, and Bill S-211.
• ESG Consulting Services Specialized consulting services for organizations including ESG Reporting and Ratings, Certification and External Assurance, Impact Assessment, Strategic Planning, and Circular Economy and Climate Risk Services.
• Sustainability Academy E-Learning Platform E-learning platform offering specialized online certificate courses including SASB & TCFD Reporting, ESG Impact and Sustainable Investing, Sustainability CSR Reporting, Carbon Reduction Strategy, Circular Economy, and Social Impact Assessment.
• Online Certificate on SASB & TCFD Reporting Specialized online certificate program covering SASB and TCFD reporting frameworks and standards.
• Online Certificate on ESG Impact and Sustainable Investing Certificate program focused on ESG impact measurement and sustainable investing principles.
• Online Certificate on Sustainability (CSR) Reporting Certificate program covering sustainability and CSR reporting standards and practices.
• Online Certificate on Carbon Reduction Strategy Certificate program focused on carbon reduction strategy development and implementation.
• Online Certificate on Circular Economy Certificate program covering circular economy principles and implementation strategies.
• Introduction to Social Impact Assessment and SROI Introductory course on social impact assessment methodology and Social Return on Investment (SROI) measurement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,500+ professionals certified globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas provides third-party certification and assurance services across ESG, environment, and supply chain — overlapping with CSE's ESG certification and external assurance offerings at much larger scale.
• Workiva: Workiva is an ESG and sustainability reporting platform widely adopted by Fortune 500s — a broader incumbent that overlaps with CSE's ESG reporting and ratings advisory services, though delivered via software rather than consulting.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): ERM is a large global environmental, sustainability, and ESG consultancy serving Fortune 500s across strategy, assurance, and climate — a broader incumbent that competes for the same enterprise ESG mandates as CSE.

Direct peers

• Salterbaxter: Salterbaxter is a sustainability strategy and ESG communications consultancy serving global enterprises, with a similar boutique scale and advisory positioning to CSE's consulting arm.
• BSR: BSR is a global sustainability advisory network that helps enterprises with ESG strategy, reporting, and supply chain integration — directly overlapping CSE's enterprise consulting practice and Fortune 500 client focus.
• Anthesis Group: Anthesis is a global sustainability consultancy offering strategy, reporting, climate, and circular economy services to large enterprises, with methodology-driven offerings comparable to CSE's 360-Degree Fast Track approach.
• The Green Consultancy: The Green Consultancy is a UK-based sustainability training and advisory firm offering practitioner certifications and corporate ESG programs — directly comparable to CSE in both training and consulting.
• GreenBiz: GreenBiz operates a sustainability media, training, and advisory platform serving professionals and enterprises — directly comparable to CSE's combination of thought leadership, training programs, and enterprise services.
• Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL): CISL delivers executive sustainability education, research, and business advisory programs — closely aligned with CSE's Certified Sustainability (ESG) Practitioner training and enterprise advisory offerings.

Emerging players

• Watershed: Watershed is a climate and ESG data platform used by enterprises for carbon accounting and disclosure — an emerging, software-led player that competes for the same Net Zero / climate advisory budgets CSE targets with its Net Zero Hub.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cse_network
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CSE-CentreforSustainabil-tk6lo
• Facebookfacebook.com/CSE.network
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-sustainability-and-excellence

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre for Sustainability and Excellence