Having a CSR/sustainability strategy is the first step to become a sustainable company. Without a clear framework, your CSR actions will appear dispersed and meaningless, because the chances are that you are not tackling the real issues. Before digging into it, make sure you have a long term mission and vision related to sustainability in order to ensure continuity. Then, you must develop a framework with your material topics, ambition targets measured against international standards and a roadmap.
If you don’t know what CSR is, it is still time to catch up!
Step 1 – Materiality assessment
The materiality assessment establishes the priority issues to tackle within your organisation based on your impacts on them and vice-versa, the risks they represent, the likelihood of impacts etc. The results are then represented in a matrix. They basically tell you where you stand, your baseline. Questions to be answered are: what will impact my company? What impacts does my company have on societies in which it operates, on stakeholders, throughout the supply chain? Once you have identified some impacts and topics, consult with your relevant stakeholders and gather data to get a better understanding of the situation and the priorities. Don’t hesitate to look for other companies’ best practices for inspiration.
If you are puzzled by the word “materiality”, check out my definition article! And if you need clarity on who your stakeholders are, read more on your CSR stakeholders.
Step 2 – Ideation
Now it’s time to ideate your strategic framework which gives an overview of objectives and priorities, the long term targets and the clear structure for communication and reporting. Make decisions based on materiality and on your mission (core purpose) and vision (what you want to bring to this world). Every future step must bring you closer to the vision. The short term strategy translates the vision into intermediate goals and pillars. Integrate the different relevant departments of your organisation.
The most widely-used standard is GRI, what does it mean, find it here. Another standard is ISO 26000, read what it is here.
Step 3 – Monitoring development
How are you going to measure progress towards your objectives? Who is responsible for implementing the strategy? With what resources? What time has every department allocated for the strategy? These questions must be answered to ensure the smooth implementation of your strategy. Develop your KPIs that also must be prioritised, because each objective can be measured by many indicators. Choose wisely. They are important to know if you are on the right path. Think about processes within existing management systems, but keep in mind that they may change as you start working on your CSR measures. It is a process of trying and learning. Decide which team is going to collaborate with all types of stakeholders. A green team can be in charge of organising events, suggesting new actions etc. If needed, develop specific plans for each objective with their short and long term targets.
Scope 1,2,3 emissions may come in handy, learn more on this article.
Step 4 – communication & implementation
Reporting is often a legal requirement. The EU has recently voted on a new regulation, CSRD, with which any company operating in the EU must comply. Don’t underestimate the time it takes, usually about 4-6 months. Then, you must develop your communication strategy for sustainability topics, both internally and externally. This means choosing how to present the strategy, the data, the alignment with standards etc. During the implementation, favour stakeholders engagement, including your employees. Events and workshops are a useful tool to raise awareness and integrate your colleagues and communities into your CSR measures. Understanding the benefits of the strategy will motivate your teams to work for it. Don’t wait to be close to the reporting deadline to know where you stand on your progress, monitor it throughout the year against your objective. It also gives your insight on new priorities and new objectives. Another way of communicating is through newsletters and social media.
Communicating your CSR actions can be difficult, follow my acronym to remember what to pay attention to on this article.
The only way to ensure a coherent CSR policy and show your genuine engagement is by having a sustainability strategy. It can take a lot of time, about nine months according to the Global Compact organisation. They emphasise that it is an iterative process that will change according to the new findings and learnings. Finally, make sure that you have your executive buy-in.
Ana
I am sustainability/CSR project manager and blogger in search for new opportunities. Don’t hesitate to give me a head up by liking and commenting this article and by sharing it with your network. Connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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