It may sound like one of those joke titles, like “director of fun” or “VP of common sense,” but the director of sustainability is a very real, and – as many colleges, municipalities and companies appear to be saying – very important position.

This Dallas Morning News article sums up just what the job responsibilities of these “chief green officers” are; their duties basically cover the environmental-tenant troika of reduce, reuse, recycle.

Colleges and universities were some of the first entities to employ environmental sustainability officers, and schools now more than ever are adding earth-friendly faculty, with campuses from UCLA to City University of New York looking to fill positions.

Some of the major companies now employing green execs, or looking to do so:

Google

General Motors

Wal-Mart

HLW, the international design firm behind such icons as NYC’s New York Times Building

And Captivate cities, as always, are on the cutting edge. The Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, borne out of a 2005 mayors meeting, is backed by nearly all the cities where Captivate plays (Houston and Memphis, get on board already!). Some specific sustainability action going on in Captivate markets:

New York City – A year or so ago launched a plan to try to limit the footprint of the city’s ballooning population.

Philadelphia – Recently hired Mark Allan Hughes, a fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, as director of sustainability.

Atlanta – Hotlanta becoming "Greenlanta”?

San Francisco – Been kickin’ it sustainability style probably longer than any other.

Dallas – Focusing on air quality.

What do you think? Anybody out there tempted to move into the sustainability field? Let us know by posting a comment below.