Thinking

According to a new report launched by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), reporting and accountability are more important than ever as businesses strengthen their sustainability commitments through WBCSD’s updated membership conditions.  

The findings are included in the ninth edition of Reporting Matters – WBCSD’s annual review of its member companies’ sustainability and integrated reports in partnership with Radley Yeldar (RY).  

This year, Reporting Matters presents a focus on the role that corporate reporting plays in shaping and communicating the contribution of businesses in addressing unprecedented challenges in climate change, nature loss, and inequality.

Key findings from the report include:

• Reporting is improving
• The state of Sustainable Development Goal reporting
• The emergence of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
• An update Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting
• The future is digital

Jennifer Black, Sustainability Reporting Director at RY, said:

“The results from this year’s Reporting Matters review reflect the wider adoption of frameworks and standards by businesses, particularly around SASB and TCFD. This is a promising trend as businesses focus on transparent and rigorous reporting, seeking ways to share decision-useful content that spans both the financial as well as the non-financial and taking us beyond a siloed approach to sustainability.”

If you would like further information on anything Reporting matters or sustainability reporting related - please get in touch. We’d love to chat.

Download the report here.

Reporting Matters Extra Shots Specials

Following the launch of Reporting Matters, we produced a series of short films, each one focusing on a different aspect of the future of reporting and sustainability. 

What's the future of materiality?

The conversation around materiality is rapidly evolving. Concepts such as dynamic and double materiality are altering organisations’ approaches, driven by changes in the reporting landscape and the emergence of new regulations and guidance. Financial and impact materiality are moving centre stage. But despite the changes driven by the reporting space, there’s huge value to be gained by using materiality as a strategic tool. In this film, we explore a new direction for materiality, with impacts for reporting and beyond.

Standards and Frameworks

We’re all familiar with the complexity of the reporting landscape, and the so-called “alphabet soup” of reporting frameworks. Too often, we hear of organisations feeling overwhelmed by the choice and the complexity and burdened by the requirements. In the midst of it all, have we lost sight of the value that standards and frameworks can bring? In this film, we take a step back and explore how organisations can adopt a more strategic approach by using frameworks and standards as an enabler of great reporting.

Live beyond the report

Every year, organisations invest significant resources to produce compelling, authentic, and credible reports. But often these remarkable assets are not used to their full potential and opportunities are missed to use them as tools to educate, inform, drive decision making and ultimately, change behaviour. In this film, we share top tips and suggestions to ensure reporting lives beyond the launch.