Creating sustainable futures/CSF103/Framing/Addressing

The desired outcome of creating a strong sustainability vision and strategy is to define the parameters of success for how things will be in a sustainable future. The strategic goals should address all the current challenges that stand between the current reality and that ideal future. They should also enable all existing and foreseeable opportunities to be captured. This requires developing long-term objectives, outcomes or goals that can serve as a North Star or compass to navigate by.

In Step B of the ABCD process (covered in Learning Pathway 1 of CSF102) you learnt how to understand the risks and opportunities posed by sustainability trends using the Funnel model; how to identify positive and negative sustainability impacts using the Natural Step’s four sustainability principles; and how to evaluate important relationships. An ideal set of strategic goals will cover all of the relevant issues identified from this Step B baseline assessment at the same time as defining what the ideal, long-term outcomes are.

A good way to identify a set of high-level strategic goals is to write all the individual challenges, opportunities and issues on post-it notes. You can then move and cluster the post-it notes into themes that make sense for the particular organisation or situation. For example, energy and fuel issues might cluster together under a goal relating to carbon neutrality; landfill waste and operational efficiencies might be clustered together under a zero waste goal; or, alternatively, where appropriate physical waste might relate to a goal focusing on closed loop production.

The North Star goals set by Nike to frame its Considered Design initiative are a good example of focused, business specific goals that address particular challenges and opportunities. The process behind setting those goals is covered in a case study, and you can find the final goals in Nike’s Corporate Responsibility Report here.

Generally, framing strategic goals is best done as a group activity with people who have a solid understanding of the issues and how an organisation works. The aim of the goals is to motivate people and inspire solutions to the challenges that the organisation wants to tackle; so there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach.