Thinking

Today, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) highlights the importance of maintaining sustainability ambitions amidst unprecedented disruption in the eighth edition of Reporting matters – its annual review of member companies’ sustainability and integrated reports in partnership with Radley Yeldar.

This year, Reporting matters presents a focus on the acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to tie it into other pressing sustainability issues, how WBCSD is responding, and the role of corporate reporting in this environment.

Spanning 158 leading global companies, this year’s research shows continued progress in corporate sustainability reporting. Key findings include:

• An improvement in reporting
• The state of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) reporting
• The state of integrated reporting
• The emergence of Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)
• The state of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting
• The use of digital formats

Louise Ayling, Director of Sustainability Strategy at RY, said:

“Every year I am encouraged by the improvement in companies’ reporting and 2020 is no exception. COVID-19 has certainly placed more weight on its importance coupled with the momentum we’ve seen towards sustainability action as we enter this new decade and the revitalisation of companies’ sustainability strategies. The challenge now is to ensure reporting and communications ensure effectiveness and provide decision-useful information to a range of relevant stakeholders. Reporting formats, accessibility and the use of language is key.”

And if you watched the launch webinar and have any questions, or 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.