NORTHAMPTON, Mass., May 14, 2025 /CSRwire/ - As scrutiny around corporate sustainability rises, companies are starting to question whether bold goal setting is still worth the risk. In the latest episode of 3BL’s “What the...?” video series, Mary Mazzoni sits down with Laura Gitman, Chief Impact Officer at BSR, to discuss how companies can set meaningful, credible goals that drive real progress in today’s charged landscape.

“There’s risk of setting goals. There’s risk of not setting goals,” Gitman explains. “Is it going to get used as evidence in lawsuits? We’re hearing on the other side, concerns that it’s really just seen as greenwashing.” Gitman emphasizes that “The concern around goals is certainly elevated from five or more years ago.”

Gitman offers practical advice for organizations rethinking their approach, including a shift toward fewer, more focused goals, and embracing flexibility and realism over lofty ambition.

A few other highlights from the conversation:

• Public goals aren't always essential—except when they are.
  If collaboration or employee engagement is key, going public with your goals can drive alignment and action.
• Realistic over aspirational.
  Companies are favoring achievable goals tied to business strategy over flashy, high-reaching promises that lack follow-through.
• Refocus, don’t retreat.
  With 2025 targets expiring, now’s the time to sharpen your strategy, not abandon goal setting altogether.
• Execution matters.
  A goal without governance, accountability, and a clear plan won’t deliver results.

Watch the full episode now on 3BL’s “What the...?” video series here. 

For companies grappling with how to set goals that are both ambitious and attainable, this episode offers a clear-eyed roadmap forward.

About 3BL 
3BL is the leading sustainability and social impact communications partner, connecting organizations’ stories of purpose and progress with the audiences who matter most. 3BL partners with over 1,500 companies – from global corporations and mid-sized enterprises to NGOs and nonprofits – to elevate their reputations as players in the world of responsible business. We do this through unrivaled news and content distribution, bespoke storytelling support, and our digital media division, TriplePundit.

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Our Brand Studio combines the editorial expertise of TriplePundit's sustainability communicators and the reach of 3BL’s unrivaled distribution network, so you can find new ways to tell your stories better and share them more widely across your target audiences.

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