Looking ahead to a positive 2023
Setting intentions for impact in the new year
Amidst the ongoing pandemic, economic challenges, worsening climate crisis, and a constantly evolving ‘new normal’, setting – and sticking to – a New Year’s resolution may seem like one more ‘to-do’ on a long list.
On the other hand, the chaotic world we live in makes crafting an intention for the year ahead all the more important to direct your focus and energy. The changing of the calendar presents a new opportunity to re-commit to your values – and here at Positive Scenarios Consulting (PSC), top of that list is our impact on the planet.
As sustainability consultants helping companies large and small, we spend every day working with our partners to drive change – sometimes through radical disruption, but more often through deliberate, incremental actions that build in magnitude and momentum over time. At PSC, we believe that there are many paths to positive change – none of which can be completed overnight.
That’s why this year we are starting at the beginning. We know the first step to driving change is committing – and that commitment is more powerful when we have clear, meaningful goals to support it. Just as individuals who write down their goals achieve better success, so do organizations that make public and concrete their plans to do better.
In 2023 we at PSC will be evaluating the impacts of our business – on the planet, our team, and our partners – and set goals to do better as a company and as individuals.
Will you join us?
If your organization doesn’t have sustainability goals – which have gone from ‘nice to have’ to an expectation of doing business – make 2023 the year you take charge and begin tackling the key issues for your organization. It’s no easy task, but there is no better time than now to set a direction to drive your company into the future.
We know it can be tough to figure out where to start. Maybe you begin with a materiality assessment to better understand the key issues for your stakeholders. Or just look at the trends: now more than 4400 companies worldwide have committed to setting climate targets through the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a nearly ten-fold increase from 2020.
And if you do have climate or other sustainability goals, make this the year you check in: have they languished at the bottom of the corporate to-do list? Is there accountability to make sure real progress is made, not just lip service? Maybe it’s time to level-up your ambition and align with the latest climate science or leading industry initiatives.
Perhaps you are starting to hear from investors or customers who want you to report on your progress. (And it’s not just you – last year more than 18,000 companies responded to requests to report to CDP on their climate actions, up from roughly 13,000 disclosures in 2021.) Rather than view these requests as an administrative burden, why not use your annual disclosure as an opportunity to inspire more momentum and action on your goals in 2023? CDP or other sustainability reporting can be a great chance to engage your stakeholders, build internal support, and spread the message about what you aim to achieve.
No matter how or where your organization is starting the year, the urgency for increased focus on climate and sustainability is only growing. Whether you are working to set goals for the first time or need to aim higher, use this January to reflect on how you can do better and challenge your organization to do the same.
Here’s to driving positive change in 2023!
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