It seems like over the last few weeks just about everyone has put together a list about sustainability reporting. Common sustainability reporting mistakes, best sustainability reporting practices, misconceptions about the Global Reporting Initiative's Sustainability Reporting Guidelines -- the list goes on and on. We've compiled the best of those lists right here for easy reference. Enjoy!
From Greenbiz, Are Companies Missing Out on a Sustainability Goldmine? (tips for mining that "gold")
- Keep your company's mission and strategy at the top of mind.
- Find points of intersection: Which factors might impact your financials significantly in the short term or long term?
- Consider the ripple effect throughout your company's supply chain.
- Ponder which international standards or agreements might hold sway.
- Pay attention to what outside expert communities are telling you.
- Ask this question: Is there a social impact?
From BSR, Top Five Reporting Mistakes (an unofficial list)
- Starting too late
- Following an ad hoc signoff process
- Using the tactical over the strategic
- Failing to connect the quantitative indicators and qualitative narrative
- Focusing on internal audiences at the expense of external readers
From Sustainable Business Forum, 7 Material Issues for the GRI to Consider
- The impact of sustainability reporting - how many companies report?
- The outcome of sustainability reporting - does it make a difference?
- The quality of sustainability reporting
- Use of the Application Levels
- The role of assurance
- The GRI relationships with financial services stakeholders
- The GRI's management of its operations in a social and environmentally responsible manner
From AccountAbility, Top Five Misconceptions About GRI Reporting
- A GRI “A” level means leadership.
A GRI “plus” (+) signifies a rigorous assurance process - Reporting on as many indicators as possible is the main goal of GRI reporting
- GRI presents a full framework for sustainability communications
- GRI is the best tool for measuring impact
From Sustainable Business Forum, Selling a CSR Report: How to Craft the Perfect Pitch
- Pitch it as a Starting Point
- Pitch it as a Learning Exercise
- Pitch it as an Engagement Tool
- Pitch it as a Competitive Edge
- Pitch it is a Celebratory Exercise
And don’t forget that Strategic Sustainability Consulting offers a wealth of information on topics just like this through our website resources. Feel free to browse by topic or contact us if you have a specific project in mind that you would like to discuss further!