Topic 1 Reporting
One method of communicating with stakeholders is through the mechanism of reporting. In ana article for Sustainable Brands, Matthew Yeomans describes sustainability reports as ‘an important calling card that companies now use to demonstrate their sustainability commitments’ (Yeomans, 2013b). The Global Reporting initiative (GRI) emphasizes that sustainability reporting is proof of alignment between a company’s strategy and a commitment to being part of sustainable economic practices (GRI, n.d.) Sustainability reporting provides value that goes beyond communication as it obliges organisations to monitor sustainability performance which in turn provides data to shape organization priorities and strategy.
Under Directive 2014/95/EU, large companies have to publish information related to:
- environmental matters
- social matters and treatment of employees
- respect for human rights
- anti-corruption and bribery
- diversity on company boards (in terms of age, gender, educational and professional background)
‘Even companies that demonstrate real panache in their sustainability communications fails to make the best use of the research data and information that goes into their sustainability report (Yeomans, 2013b). As such companies have been using more creative approaches and accessible channels to convey their sustainability story and performance. Some example of creative campaigns and channels below:
