Pillar 3

#3: Roadmap monitoring framework

  • Adopt a dedicated monitoring framework in the first year of implementation of the climate roadmap, while acknowledging that data availability and quality may be a challenge, and that impact reduction may not be immediately visible (progress usually shows after 2 to 3 years).
  • In the early years, while monitoring data are still in their infancy, use success stories and case studies, which contribute to the momentum.

Why monitor progress?

Monitoring frameworks are designed to answer the question: ‘Are we on track?’ regarding roadmap implementation and meeting our quantitative targets.

External accountability

  • Accountable to public & board: showing progress on public key commitments taken in the roadmap. Demonstrating that the organisation is taking concrete actions (as opposed to green washing).
  • Anticipate on increased compliance expectations: ensure compatibility with recognised international certificates, and emerging best practices (such as those promoted by the Science Based Target initiative SBTi).

Internal accountability

  • Manage implementation: assess progress, arbitrate priorities, manage resources, mitigate blockages, involve staff and motivate with success stories.

The list of solutions and actions, and corresponding quantified reduction targets identified in the roadmap serve as a backbone for defining monitoring indicators.

The solutions list may be used as a starting point to define corresponding indicators, then assess data feasibility, and design the data collection process. The organisation will be able decide what is feasible today, and what is desirable/how to improve the monitoring framework in the future.

Capture the overall progress in the sources of emissions of organisations

Direct emissions (Energy & Transport)

Travel: Number of km per passenger by air
Fuel: Number of liters of fuel used (for cars & generators)
Energy: Number of kWh consumed
Energy mix: Percentage of kWh from low-carbon energy
Freight: Number of t.km transported by air

Indirect emissions (Procurement)

Purchasing emissions: Emissions from Purchased Goods and Services
Purchasing intensity: Emissions per $ spent
Procure greener*: Percentage of spend meeting environmental specifications
Pool of items*: Evolution of emission factors for a selected set of items
Transparency*: Number of purchased goods with Carbon Footprint Data
Suppliers energy mix*: % of Suppliers Using Low-carbon energy **
Suppliers commitment*: % of Suppliers Committed to Paris-Aligned Emissions Reductions**

Environment

Waste: Kg of waste
Plastic: Proportion of facilities banning single-use plastic

* Implementation from the start isn’t required (depends on size and maturity level)
** Only for suppliers – producers of goods with significant spend.

In December 2021, ALIMA adopted an ambitious climate and environmental roadmap124, aiming to reduce its GHG by 50% by 2030, by transitioning from air to sea freight, prioritising renewable energy and improving waste management. In February 2024, ALIMA’s marked two years of steps forward and lessons learned. Healthcare facilities supported by ALIMA have increasingly invested in solar power, and the recruitment of an energy and buildings coordinator and a partnership with Electricians Sans Frontières, the organisations launched their energy management policy in 2024, allowing for better assessment and larger deployment. Among key lessons learned, ALIMA cites; annual action plans at country levels to empower field teams to define priorities and integrate needs into project cycles, proactive partnership identification to address on-site expertise gaps and an internalised environment team at the intersection of operations and support services to avoid environmental actions becoming isolated initiatives.

Monitoring frameworks include high level indicators, which offer a “cockpit” for monitoring the overall progress of roadmap implementation, and a set of more detailed indicators.

High level indicators (the “cockpit”)

What: critical data for decision-making and showing overall progress on roadmap commitments. If these indicators are not met, it means that the implementation of the organisation’s roadmap is going off track. High level indicators typically include impact, outcome and output indicators.

Target audience: senior leadership, sustainability managers.

Impact indicators measure progress against the overall climate roadmap commitment, that is halving GHG emissions by 2030 (measuring volumes of emissions avoided).

Other high-level indicators can provide important information on the overall progress of the organisation in terms of emissions reduction, including monitoring emissions per dollar amount (intensity). Such indicators are a complement but do not replace the main impact indicator that consists in monitoring emissions reduction in absolute terms.

Progress indicators

For each category of solution (procurement, air freight, business travel, etc.), a set of input, activity, output, outcomes and impact indicators needs to be defined.

  • Use a mix of qualitative and quantitative indicators.
  • Focus on priority projects to be initiated on the first couple of years of the roadmap implementation.
  • Combine the measurement of progress on key action/activities planned, with process, policies, and data availability/generation tracking tools.

Data collection, availability and quality are key for the capacity of an organisation to develop its climate roadmap and for the monitoring framework. However, organisations are often faced with initial challenges which will be addressed over time:

  • Improve the physical data collection process, starting with initial mapping of available data.
  • Contribute to develop emissions factors for key items, for instance identifying proxies and/or investing into research projects to estimate life cycle analysis (LCAs).
  • Be selective in the number and complexity of additional requested indicators, using existing data in priority; make sure field is not overburdened with data collection.

Monitoring can go beyond tracking indicators and collecting data. Organisations can also assess how well they integrate environmental requirements into their practices. This can be achieved using a maturity model, which breaks environmental integration into measurable stages for different solution categories (such as travel, freight, procurement, etc.). The model consists of five stages, each stage representing a level of progress in adopting environmental strategies. Using this approach, organisations can identify their current stage for each category and determine the steps needed to advance to the next level. A financial module can be added to follow-up on investments, costs and savings.

A transparent and accountable approach will empower every employee and donor to assess the progress made in implementing the roadmap and the steadfastness of commitment. To that aim, organisations should:

  • Ensure and improve adequate and quality data collection.
  • Monitor the roadmap implementation.
  • Ensure progress measurement and accountability.
  • Regularly and publicly report on progress.
Pillar 2
Pillar 4

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