Sustainability Reporting Helps Rebuild Trust

According to new research presented by The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), sustainability reporting has become an essential tool to help businesses and governments rebuild trust and confidence in the wake of economic collapse.

GRI – the pioneering developer of one of the most widely used sustainability reporting frameworks – contributed to two high-profile research projects into the trends of reporting. These studies reveal the global economy is set to become radically more transparent over the next decade.

Nelmara Arbex, Director, Learning and Services at GRI says sustainability reporting is becoming more mainstream, recognised as the best tool to measure, report and communicate performance in the ESG field.

The studies, ‘The Transparent Economy’ and ‘Carrots and Sticks’, investigate the latest developments in sustainability reporting in the regulatory field and in relation to society’s recent challenges. Both will be launched at The 2010 Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency taking place on 26-28 May, 2010.

‘The Transparent Economy’ report is based on research led by Volans, a sustainability consultancy-think-tank, in cooperation with GRI, analysing the trends that will drive reporting until 2020.

The report’s author, sustainability champion John Elkington says sustainability reporting is playing a crucial role in the process of rebuilding trust in businesses, financial institutions and governments following the financial meltdown and as a result, new forms of ‘integrated reporting’ are evolving rapidly.

‘Carrots and Sticks – Promoting Transparency and Sustainability’ is the latest edition of a study initially published in 2006 to provide an easy reference and overview of mandatory and voluntary approaches to sustainability reporting and assurance throughout the world. A co-production of GRI, the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), KPMG Sustainability, and the University of Stellenbosch Business School, the study covers the majority of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries as well as emerging market countries such as Brazil, India and South Africa.

The full publications will be available at The 2010 Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency, the world’s biggest sustainability reporting event. ‘The Transparent Economy’ publication will be launched during the ‘Volans & GRI Research Program: Trends in Future Reporting’ conference session on Thursday, 27 May. The ‘Carrots and Sticks’ publication will be launched during the ‘Learn about Regulatory Approaches around the Globe’ conference session on 27 May.

For more information on the conference go to: www.amsterdamgriconference.org.