Online Sustainability Reports

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Permalink Reply by adrian on February 26, 2009 at 1:54pm

I should add that so far the following have been suggested to me:
Vodafone
BHP
Land Securities
BP
ANZ
Marks and Spencers - Plan A
News Media's 1 Degree Program

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Permalink Reply by Leon Young on February 26, 2009 at 1:58pm

Regarding the first question, are you asking which companies have published a good sustainability report, or which consultancies are good at preparing them?

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Permalink Reply by adrian on February 26, 2009 at 2:42pm

The question is about the credibility of a sustainability report published in online format. It'd be good to know what people in the industry think is important when assessing an online sustainability report.

I'm seeking two kinds of insights:
1. which online reports are easiest to use, best presentation of information and so-on
2. which online reports best achieve the aims of a sustainability report, and on what basis should we assess their credibility.

Whether a consultant has prepared the report is probably a contributive aspect of both questions - and that's also the kind of insight I'm looking for.

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Permalink Reply by Ivan Goloborodko on May 7, 2009 at 7:42pm

Two good places to look are - and Global Environmental Management Initiative (gemi.org) and Banarra (www.banarra.com.au).

I guess as with any document - clear and honest communication stating current situation, plan and implementation. Ideally verified by third parties.

Good luck

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Permalink Reply by Mans Carlsson-Sweeny on June 16, 2009 at 6:59pm

Hi, I am currently working as a research analyst on sustainability in the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland). I cannot answer your first question in terms of Australian companies but have quite a few examples in the Nordics, e.g. companies like Novozymes and Danisco. In my view, the following aspects are key when reviewing sustainability reports: clear comparisons year to year in terms of environmental impact and resource efficiency (plus commentary on what has changed), clear targets and progress reports on these targets, a description on how the company's sustainability policies apply to other players in the value chain, i.e. suppliers, customers, etc.

Get in touch if you'd like to have a longer chat about this topic.

Cheers,

Mans

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Permalink Reply by Carolyn King on May 26, 2010 at 4:10pm

This reply will be far too late for your review Adrian, but hey, it may be useful to someone!

I'd say the criteria for success of an online report is how well it addresses the needs of the target audiences (which is usually a variety of stakeholders, from staff, customers and suppliers through to investors, NGOs and local communities) and how well the sustainability policy/results/data relates to the business in practice. The report should cover past performance (showing trends over time), but also future plans, and the practical strategy for getting there.

The navigation has to allow for these different audiences/needs while still following web design best practice for usability, accessibility, legibility, etc. For example, if reports are to comply with GRI guidelines they may need specific navigation for that. I have designed a few online sustainability reports in the past (eg for Ford, which has even won CERES awards) and can confirm it's not easy!

Some links that may be useful:

Good survey by SustainAbility about the reader's perspective on sustainability reports:
http://www.globalreporting.org/CurrentPriorities/GlobalReadersSurve...

Register of Corporate Responsibility reports (they also have awards): http://www.corporateregister.com/reports/

Global Reporting Initiative (includes list of reports that meet GRI guidelines): http://www.globalreporting.org/GRIReports/GRIReportsList/

CERES (awards for American CSR reports) http://www.ceres.org//Page.aspx?pid=433.

ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards Australia: http://australia.accaglobal.com/allnews/national/australia/3270626

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