Two principles govern the excellence of modern organisations’ sustainability or integrated reports: materiality and stakeholder inclusiveness. These principles dominate the current reporting landscape and will intensify as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) prepares for its fourth generation reporting guidelines (GRI 4) and the proposed local and international framework for integrated reporting gains momentum. A high [...]
‘Business as usual’ has taken on a complete new meaning in the 21st century. The global conscience has evolved to a level where business has finely integrated social and environmental mindfulness. The world wants tangible evidence that organisations, whilst making money, also take responsibility for their actions. The BP oil spill in April 2010 made [...]
The year that was – 2010 – Sustainability Reporting in South Africa: Sustainability reporting is getting more and more popular in South African and the increase in the number of published reports show that South African companies play a major role in sustainability reporting globally. Whereas about ten years ago company reports were limited to [...]
The nature of corporate reporting has evolved tremendously over the past few years and now even more so since the inception of King III in March 2010, which stipulates that listed companies should submit an Integrated Report. Many have subsequently dubbed Integrated Reporting as a complex process. But the rationale behind Integrated Reporting was not [...]
The global recession, embedded in the financial sector, is creating an environment of cost-cutting and streamlining. For many leading international and local companies, the current economy has produced a particularly challenging environment in which to operate. It has also produced a challenge for sustainability. Sustainable development is, after all, about economic growth and increased GDP, [...]
Make the business caseSceptics and believers alike often think that executive endorsement of corporate citizenship relies on a business case that demonstrates bottom-line financial results. However, practitioners frequently overvalue what the business case can deliver, relying on it as the ultimate tool for convincing non-believers.Yes the business case: Connects corporate citizenship to your company’s business [...]
The key to long-term success is the quality of leadership and its influence on all a company’s relationships. Communication – alongside strength of character and strategy – is in turn at the heart of good leadership and relationships. Reporting is in its turn one aspect of strong communication, and a particularly important part in creating [...]
“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them” – Albert Einstein Corporate responsibility (CR) is currently a hotly debated issue. In South Africa, corporate citizenship is finally getting the recognition it deserves. However, the company-wide implementation of CR and the integration of [...]
In a report by KPMG and UNEP recently released, consideration of voluntary and mandatory approaches to sustainability reporting was discussed in depth. A key proposition in the report is that the voluntary versus mandatory debate does not imply an “either / or” position, but rather finding a balance between regulation in certain high risk or [...]
Achieving sustainability may be the greatest challenge of the 21st century. Yet organisations have difficulty in turning rhetoric into reality. Many lack the systems, tools and skills to implement fully their good intentions, and to report and evaluate their performance. Embedding sustainable development in either the public or the private sector is complex as the [...]
