Calibration
One way to make commitments more actionable is through calibration. Calibration means deliberately choosing how strong a requirement or commitment should be – whether it should guide behaviour as an aspiration, an expectation, or a binding obligation. In other words, calibration is about matching the wording of a requirement or commitment to the role it should play in practice.
Rather than automatically drafting every clause in the strongest possible terms, calibration asks more careful questions:
- What is the purpose of this requirement or commitment?
- What behaviour is it intended to influence in practice?
- What kind of follow-up or support is needed to make the requirement or commitment achievable?
- How will progress be monitored and documented?
- What consequences should follow if the requirement is not met?
Sustainability-related content is rarely all-or-nothing. Rather than creating a binary between “binding” and “non-binding”, sustainability-related commitments and requirements may function along a spectrum of normative strength: as aspirations, expectations, or binding obligations. When this level is unclear or misaligned, contractual content may appear strong in form but fail to guide action.
What appears as an obligation in form may remain an aspiration in practice – or vice versa. The following figure shows different calibration levels, where aspirations are normatively weakest and obligations normatively strongest. The table below describes these calibration levels in more detail.
| Aspirations | Expectations | Obligations |
|---|---|---|
| Express aims, values, or long-term intentions. They signal direction but do not immediately allocate concrete responsibility or legal consequences. Aspirational language can be useful where outcomes depend on evolving capabilities, technological development, regulatory clarification, or collaboration beyond the direct control of the party. Well-crafted aspirations can set direction, signal commitment, and prepare the ground for more concrete targets and obligations over time. | Communicate that certain behaviour is required in principle, even if it is not framed as a strict duty. Expectations can support gradual development, capacity building, and shared standards across supply chains. | Define binding duties and performance requirements. They allocate clear responsibility and may trigger legal consequences if not fulfilled. Obligations may be conditional (e.g. triggered by certain events or findings) and may require either specific results or defined actions or processes. Obligations are appropriate where risks are significant, standards are well defined, and performance is within the reasonable control of the party concerned. |
Expressing commitment levels
The same underlying sustainability concern can be formulated at each of the calibration levels. The difference lies in the level of normativity. Consider how environmental impacts can be addressed across the spectrum:
- Aspiration: “The Supplier aims to reduce the negative environmental impacts arising from its operations and supply chain.”
- Expectation: “The Supplier is expected to maintain policies and procedures aimed at reducing the negative environmental impacts arising from its operations and supply chain.”
- Obligation: “The Supplier must establish and maintain measures to identify and reduce the negative environmental impacts arising from its operations and supply chain.”
The aspirational wording signals values and direction but leaves open how and when action will be taken. The expectational wording begins to shape behaviour by introducing more concrete organisational expectations (policies and procedures), while still avoiding strict binding language. The obligation clearly requires defined action, making responsibility and compliance more assessable. Obligations may take different forms, including prohibitions (must not) and duties (must, shall).
Sustainable contracting requires conscious choices along the spectrum of ASPIRATIONS, EXPECTATIONS, and OBLIGATIONS. Over-using aspirations may leave serious risks insufficiently addressed. Over-using obligations may create unrealistic or unmanageable commitments.
Spot the problem
Making sustainability-related requirements explicit and appropriately calibrated is only part of the challenge. Requirements must also be visible, connected, and positioned so that they reach the people, processes, and situations where action is expected to occur. The next section focuses on how sustainability-related content can be structured and aligned across the contract stack to support implementation in practice.
Solution 2: From hidden, misaligned, or misplaced to structured and aligned content next page