In conversation | Is sustainability target setting still fit for purpose?

The last 18 months has seen an upheaval of sustainability targets: roll-backs, refreshes and repositioning. With a growing number of companies now confronting the challenges facing their own sustainability and climate targets, and a greater emphasis on delivering value for the business, we think it's worth pausing before jumping straight to the next reset.

Targets set five years ago were designed as a starting block, aimed to push ambition higher, now they’re having to be brought back down to earth and be more reflective of current commercial realities. This creates a real moment to pause and reflect: if so many companies are having to revisit their goals, were the previous sets of targets really resilient enough in the first place, and what can we learn to design better, more flexible approaches?

We'll be bringing together a small group of senior sustainability leaders for a frank conversation around the big tensions in sustainability target setting:

• Have targets been focused on the right areas? With so much dependent on action outside a company's direct control, how meaningful is a target that isn't directly actionable, and where's the line between a stretching target and one people simply switch off from?
• What should define the ambition? The logic of science-based targets makes sense for the planet, but too often it just hasn’t made sense for the business. What's the right balance between ambition and commercial reality?
• How many targets is too many? Approaches have ranged from single 'north stars' to detailed suites of targets and KPIs. What dictates the sweet spot and how many topics should have targets attached?
• Are targets really always the right answer? Targets have been the go-to tool for sustainability teams, but that assumes they motivate action across the business. Are they always the best way to build engagement or are there more effective ways to drive progress?

We'll be joined by a small panel for an honest discussion on what works, what doesn't, and what needs to change.