It’s 2020 and we are off and running! This year we continue our work with clients in all types of industries to reduce their single-use plastic footprint and carbon emissions, as well as develop and support extended brand ecosystem engagement strategies. As we start with a new calendar, new budgets, and a new vision for our clients, this is a perfect time of year to chart the course for your organization in sustainability and create a work plan to help accomplish your goals over the next 11 months. To get started, we recommend setting a list of goals with your team. Discuss goals that are both far-reaching and also easily obtainable. There are no bad ideas in this brainstorming session, and this activity will help you understand the goals of your team. Some examples to include in your sustainability planning are to set up recycling bins by every trash container, start composting, host a community clean up, track travel GHG emissions, or apply for a sustainability award. Once you have all of the goals documented, choose 5-10 that you want to focus on in 2020.
For each of these goals, make sure it is measurable and specific. Try to stay away from goals that have the words “more” or “increase” in the objective. Choose metrics that are quantifiable instead. Next, develop strategies to accomplish each goal. Each goal should have 2-4 strategies associated. These strategies will be your milestones to confirm your company is on track to reach your goals. Each of these strategies will then be segmented into tasks that are assigned a date to be completed. Build your sustainability calendar around these tasks and assign members of your team to lead each initiative. We recommend focusing in quarters of the year, so set out your calendar for Q1 and Q2 for each activity. As the year unfolds, it is always helpful to have a check in with the work plan to ensure everything is on track, noting when a strategy pivoted and why.
PPS specializes in leading this activity for many companies around the US, so if you don’t have the resources to lead this initiative, contact us to start the process for you.