Setting CSR objectives means giving your company the direction it needs to take to meet today's social, environmental and economic challenges. 

But beyond fine intentions, it's a question of structuring an ambition capable of moving the lines, both internally and with its stakeholders.

In this article, we explore the key steps to defining relevant, ambitious and achievable CSR objectives: 

• The importance of CSR for a company
• What is a CSR objective?
• Why should they be ambitious?
• How do you define them?
• Measuring and monitoring CSR performance
• Challenges and mistakes to avoid

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The importance of CSR for a company

Today, integrating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into your strategy is no longer an option. Behind the term CSR lies a simple idea: companies must make a positive contribution to society, while taking care of their impact on the environment and people.

Setting CSR objectives means structuring this ambition!

They cover three main areas: environmental, social and economic, or governance, to ensure responsible and sustainable management.

And why is this important? Because it benefits everyone. 

For companies, it means building customer loyalty, motivating employees, meeting partners' expectations and becoming more responsible. For society, it's a guarantee that fairer, more sustainable projects will emerge .

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What is a CSR objective?

It's a target that a company sets itself to make a positive contribution to society and the environment, while reducing its negative impacts. They are linked to the major challenges of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which cover three main areas: 

• The environment: for example, reducing CO₂ emissions or limiting water consumption.
• Social: improving employee well-being or supporting local projects.
• Economics or governance : encouraging ethical and transparent management.

They serve to guide the company's actions and measure its progress. They are concrete commitments that reflect a willingness to act.

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Why set ambitious CSR targets?

Setting ambitious CSR objectives not only helps to meet stakeholder expectations, but also to differentiate the company in the marketplace. When they are clear and bold, they contribute to strengthening the company's overall performance and positive impact.

Meeting stakeholder expectations

Customers, employees, investors: today, everyone expects companies to act responsibly. Adopting a well-structured CSR approach will help you to meet these expectations and build trust in your company.

Comply with regulations and anticipate standards

With legislation such as the CSRD requiring greater sustainability transparency, companies need to prepare now. Get ahead of the game, so you don't have to suffer these changes, but can anticipate them and take advantage of them.

Gaining competitive advantages

A strong commitment to CSR enhances your brand image and makes your company more attractive to customers, talent and partners. It's also a way of differentiating yourself in an increasingly demanding market.

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How do you define your CSR objectives?

To ensure that your CSR commitments have a real impact, we recommend that you define clear, measurable and realistic priorities in line with the challenges facing your sector. Properly defined, they will enable your company to focus on concrete actions, while meeting stakeholders' expectations.

One method we use a lot at Beavr to structure them is the SMART method.

By taking into account the specific challenges of your sector and your company's priorities, you can establish ambitious but achievable CSR commitments that will guide your actions and enable you to measure your progress transparently. In this section, we explain how to go about defining them.

Using the SMART method

The SMART method is based on five criteria:

• Specific: they must be precise and well-defined. For example, "reduce CO₂ emissions" is too vague. Better to say: "reduce CO₂ emissions by 10% in 2 years compared to the reference year".
• Measurable: You need to be able to measure your progress. For example, "reduce water consumption by 500 m³ by the end of the year".
• Achievable: they must be realistic, based on the company's current capabilities.
• Realistic: Make sure they are achievable, given resources and context.
• Time: Add a deadline, e.g. "reduce our energy consumption by 20% by 2025".

It's also important to distinguish between strategic objectives and objectives of means.

Strategic commitments set out your long-term vision, over 5 to 10 years, and guide the general direction of your company. Medium-term objectives, on the other hand, are intermediate steps over 2 to 3 years that help you move towards these grand ambitions. This approach enables you to plan your actions in an organized way, and stay on track to achieve your long-term goals.

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Take account of material issues and sectoral priorities

Each company has its own specific challenges, depending on its sector of activity, geography and size. 

For example, a company in the fashion sector might focus on the environmental impact of production, while a pharmaceutical company might concentrate on the health and safety of its workers. 

Take the time to define your priority objectives based on what has the greatest impact for the company and its sector.

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Measuring and monitoring performance

Measuring and monitoring the performance of CSR objectives helps to ensure that the actions undertaken have a real impact, and to adjust strategies along the way if necessary.

As a reminder, to be achievable, an objective must be quantified and dated. Knowing exactly what you're aiming for, and setting yourself a deadline for achieving it, makes them more concrete and gives you a real chance of making them a reality.

The importance of KPIs (key performance indicators)

CSR KPIs are tools that enable us to measure the progress we've made in relation to the objectives we've set. These indicators vary according to the objectives, but they enable us to monitor concrete elements such as :

• Reducing CO₂ emissions.
• Employee satisfaction.
• Quantity of resources saved (water, energy, etc.).
• Etc.

These KPIs are crucial, as they help quantify results and determine whether the company is moving in the right direction. The CSRD requires you to report on a number of KPIs, as do many other frameworks such as EcoVadis.

Monitoring and adjusting strategy

CSR objectives need to be monitored on a regular basis, so that any deviations can be quickly identified and actions adjusted if necessary. For example, you could decide to review the situation quarterly to see whether they have been achieved, and if necessary, revise the methods to be more effective.

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Challenges and mistakes to avoid

Setting ambitious CSR objectives is an excellent starting point, but beware: your CSR strategy and actions must be up to the task. To ensure that your actions have a real impact, here are the main mistakes to avoid.

Objectives that are too vague or unrealistic

Setting objectives that are too general, or that do not take into account the company's resources and capabilities, can lead to disappointing results. 

For example, "becoming a greener company" or "reducing our ecological footprint" are too vague to measure. Be specific and realistic: "reduce our CO₂ emissions by 15% by 2025", to give clear benchmarks for action.

Lack of buy-in from internal stakeholders

They must be supported by the whole company, from top management to employees. Without the commitment of internal stakeholders, it is difficult to implement effective actions. Make sure you involve your teams from the outset, making them aware of the importance of CSR and giving them the means to participate actively. Define good CSR governance!

Greenwashing: how to avoid it?

Greenwashing consists in giving the illusion of being ecologically responsible without taking real action. This can damage your reputation and lead to a loss of trust. To avoid it, it's important to set genuine, measurable objectives, and to communicate transparently about your actions and results. Don't just make promises, take concrete action and monitor your progress.

Ignoring science

For all those on the environment, rely on what science tells you.

Our planet has physical limits, such as the limited capacity of ecosystems to absorb CO2, which must be respected to avoid irreversible imbalances. Your emission reduction trajectories must be set with these limits in mind, and take into account what science tells us about the planet's resilience.

On the subject of CO2 emissions, the SBTi (Science-Based Targets initiative ) is a benchmark. It offers recognized methodologies for defining emission reduction targets in line with scientific recommendations, in particular for limiting global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C. By adopting recognized frameworks, you give yourself a chance to set credible and ambitious targets, in line with global environmental imperatives.

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Conclusion

Setting and achieving CSR objectives is not just a theoretical exercise: it's a strong commitment to transforming your company.

To succeed in setting the right objectives, we recommend using the SMART method, which remains an excellent compass. You also need to bear in mind that they must be specific to your company's challenges and adapted to the priorities of your sector.

Remember, setting objectives is just the beginning. For them to be effective, you need to monitor your KPIs over time, see how your actions are performing and adjust them if necessary. This is the key to having an impactful CSR strategy!