How to set environmental performance targets

As well as carrying out an initial environmental review, you should also gather data about the environmental performance of your business.

For your key environmental performance indicators (KEPIs) to be useful, the data they are based on must be accurate. One way of doing this is to use a technique called process mapping.

What is process mapping?

You can use process mapping to track and then measure any process your business carries out. This data-gathering technique is particularly useful when developing KEPIs that will track how much energy and waste your business is producing.

To create a process map you need to identify your business' main inputs (eg raw materials, energy, water and packaging) and outputs (eg emissions and waste) at each stage of the process. You then need to present these in a visual format such as a flow chart or block diagram.

Once you have drawn your process map, you need to populate it with data. This data could come from a variety of sources including meters, invoices and purchasing records.

Taking direct measurements

Depending on the type of business you operate, you may want to take samples of emissions, raw materials, packaging, waste levels and overall stock levels to determine what impact these are having on the environment. You can use this data to create the KEPI that you want to report.

If you are unable to get data by taking measurements, you should make the best estimate possible. For example, you could use samples from large quantities of data, carry out simple trials or use mass balance calculations to fill gaps in your data.