To achieve environmentally sustainable goals you will need determine how success will be measured. More specifically you will need to explain what people will need to do differently from what they are doing now. This involves describing the desired result and how they are expected to get there.
Sustainability requires longer term thinking, meaning multi-year goals with annual milestones which are adjusted along the way.
Companies should craft sustainability goals in consultation with internal and external experts and stakeholders, combining bottom-up and top-down analysis to produce goals that are material, achievable, quantitative and time-bound.
It is important to create a public sustainability report with goals. Making an external commitment in the form of publicly stated goals serves as both a management tool and as a route to gaining trust and credibility with stakeholders. Public sustainability goals are different from private aspirations in that they demonstrate commitment and help galvanize internal staff and drive results.
When creating a sustainability report transparency is key. Sustainability reporting is about building trust, most importantly reporting needs to address what companies will do not just what they have done.
Once you establish sustainability goals, you must manage sustainability performance to ensure that you achieve your goals. You must also determine when and how these sustainability goals will be communicated to the public.
Executive accountability and regular progress reporting are important to achieving sustainability goals. Although it is not common practice, it makes sense to tie compensation packages to sustainability results.
In crafting your goals you must remember that stakeholders don’t buy efforts, they buy results.
© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
Related Posts
Best Practices for Sustainable
Best Practices for Communicating Sustainability
Best Practices for Engaging Employees in Sustainability
The Overwhelming Logic of Sustainable Business
Sustainable Practices are a Strategic Necessity
Building a Sustainability Strategy
Green Public Relations
GHG Protocol and Scope 3 Accounting
The Business of Water Management Requires Collaboration
Top Business Sustainability Trends
Cost Benefit Analysis of Sustainable Business
Business Will Lead the War Against Climate Change
What The Business Community Can Do To Manage Climate Change
Action on Climate Change
Patagonia Shows the Way with Responsible Business
Video: The Journey of Sustainable Business
Video: Business Opportunities from Combating Climate Change
Video: Ray Anderson on Sustainable Business
0 comments:
Post a Comment