Setting environmental targets and objectives is an important step for any eco-friendly business owner.
Customers, employees, and stakeholders will appreciate your focus on sustainability.
Plus, reducing your carbon footprint can increase awareness about your business and save money.
Learn how to set environmental targets and objectives in 15 minutes or less below! And take advantage of our special offer to save money on eco-friendly products!
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What are Environmental Targets and Objectives?
Environmental targets and objectives are sustainability goals that you want to accomplish in the future.
Objectives are general goals or intentions while targets are specific and measurable outcomes.
Setting environmental targets and objectives is an important part of being an eco-friendly business owner. Sustainability goals can increase profitability and help the planet. Some examples are below.
11 Examples of Environmental Targets and Objectives
Below are 11 examples of environmental targets and objectives.
1. Reduce our carbon footprint
Replace 60% of lightbulbs with LED lights and work from home 10% of the year.
2. Conserve water
Install faucet motion sensors on 50% of all faucets and decrease water consumption by 33% over the next 12 months.
3. Reduce paper waste
Decrease printer paper consumption by 20% and purchase paperless notebooks for next year’s annual conference.
4. Use more renewable energy
Install 10 solar panels over the next 3 years and use clean energy to meet 20% of our business energy needs.
5. Eliminate plastic waste
Replace 100% of plastic cups with biodegradable cups and eliminate 100% of plastic water bottles in 12 locations by 2030.
6. Use sustainable packaging
Replace 50% of our cardboard boxes and with boxes made from recycled materials and biodegradable mailers.
7. Reduce hazardous waste
Increase our usage of chemical free cleaning products by 75%.
8. Comply with all environmental laws
Write an environmental policy for our business.
9. Use recycled products whenever possible
Source 50% of our office supplies from manufacturers that use recycled products (e.g., pens made from recycled bottles, notebooks made from recycled products).
10. Be a responsible member of the community
Complete 100 volunteer activities next year.
11. Safeguard the environment for future generations
Reduce fleet petroleum consumption by 20 percent over the next 5 years.
How to Set Environmental Targets and Objectives in 15 Minutes
1. Find Your "Why"
Why do you want to set environmental targets and objectives? Is it to help the planet? Appeal to a broader customer base? Align with industry standards and regulations?
Determining your why is your first step and it should only take a few minutes.
Time Spent: 1 minute
2. Determine Your Baseline
Second, look at your monthly utility bills. Determine how many kWhs you use on a monthly basis. Do the same for water and natural gas if applicable.
Also, look at receipts and transactions from gas stations to see roughly how much fuel you use every month.
Use ballpark estimates for each of these items as a baseline for how much energy you use.
You can do the same for other materials you use such as packaging, plastic, trash bags, and cleaning products. Understand the amount of supplies and materials you use and whether or not they are environmentally friendly.
This step should only take about 10 minutes as most of this information should be on receipts from recent orders and transactions.
Time Spent: 10 minutes
3. Identify One Easy Change and Write it Down
Finally, identify one easy change and write it down. For instance, if your business has trash cans you can start buying biodegradable trash bags instead of plastic ones.
Write down one easy change in the “target” and “objective” format shown above. Once you have one it will be easier to think of more!
It is ok to start small. You want to pick targets and objectives that you and your team can easily meet to maintain morale.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the benefits of environmental targets and objectives?
Setting environmental targets and objectives make it easier to take action and drive results. They can also decrease your carbon footprint, help the planet, save money, and impress your customers and employees.
2. How long does it take to set environmental targets and objectives?
You can set environmental targets and objectives in as little as 15 minutes depending on the size of your business!
3. Why is setting environmental targets and objectives important?
Because they increase accountability and get everyone moving in the same direction.
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