Setting Objectives and Targets
Setting objectives and targets is an opportunity to further prioritize your organization’s significant aspects and improve upon the hotspots. Once you’ve compiled the list of significant aspects you will then determine which ones will have objectives and targets.
Environmental Objective
- An overall goal, arising from the environmental policy, that an organization sets itself to achieve
e.g. Reduce energy used by all buildings
Environmental Target
- A detailed performance requirement that arises from an objective
e.g. Reduce Energy Consumption Used by Building Y by X% by January 2003.
Your organization has the flexibility to determine what’s appropriate based on your needs. Objectives and targets can be set organization-wide or for individual units. When you establish objectives and targets you will need to keep in mind the three pillars of the environmental policy:
– Compliance
– Continuous Improvement
– Pollution Prevention
Consideration also needs to be given to:
• Significant Environmental Aspects
• Applicable Legal and Regulatory Requirements
• Views of Interested Parties
– Who are your interested parties?
• Technological Options
• Other Business Realities
How do we get started?
- Review your significant aspects list
- Determine which significant aspects you will set objectives and targets for this year
(based on resources, technology options, etc.)
- document the criteria and process for this decision
- decision is usually made by Core Team - Consider your policy commitments, views of interested parties, business realities, etc.
- List the objectives and targets (Core Team)
- Get top management approval
- Document the list and communicate as appropriate
Lessons Learned
- Staff from the functional areas involved should set O’s & T’s
- Keep your objectives consistent with your mission - they must be realistic - how will you measure them
- KISS, gain early wins, then build on them
- Communicate your O’s & T’s - consider a regular report (top mgt., Core Team, etc.)
Checklist
- Have you:
– Documented objectives and targets at relevant functions and levels within the
organization?
– Ensured that O’s & T’s are consistent with the environmental policy commitments?
– Ensured consistency with business plan/mission?
– Established a process for tracking and reporting progress?
– Established and documented a procedure?
Next - Getting from Here to There (Environmental Management Programs)