As companies start sustainability initiatives, how will they know they are successful? One of the ways is to develop a metrics plan to measure the improvement. The complexity comes in what data do you track and measure. Data is not always available and/or time consuming to collect, track and maintain for limited staff resources.

Here are some options to consider in three of the more common areas for companies:

Energy

• % of total KWH energy reductions (via utility bill)
• # of energy star equipment or appliances purchased or used

Purchasing and Supply Chain

• % of recycled or post-consumer waste products purchased
• % of local based products or vendors used
• % of revenue of total purchases used with sustainable vendors
• # of vendors who ‘sustainable’

Transportation

• # of bus passes (used and/or purchased)
• # of miles driven to and from work for all staff
• % of products purchased within (# of miles) of company location
• # of employees who use alternative transportation (days per year)

For more information, the International Sustainability Indicators is an organization that provides information to measure progress toward sustainability for communities and companies.