What is Sustainability Reporting?

Sustainability reporting is a practice where organizations disclose information about their sustainability and ESG performance to stakeholders. It is a key tool for managing impact on sustainability issues, including climate change, human rights, and corporate governance.

‍

Why is it important?

Sustainability reporting helps organizations measure, understand, and communicate their sustainability performance over time, providing them with a comprehensive history of their progress throughout their sustainability journey. It allows organizations to hold themselves accountable to their commitments on social and environmental responsibilities through disclosing environmental and social risks and how they are managed.

Transparency and accountability are essential when it comes to practicing sustainability. Through sustainability reports, stakeholders are given a transparent view of the organization's sustainability practices and impacts, enhancing credibility and trust. These reports also acts as avenues for engagement with key stakeholders, from investors to regulatory bodies.

‍

What is included in a sustainability report?

Sustainability reports typically cover a wide range of topics across the environmental, social, and governance spectrum. These also observe certain frameworks or standards to better outline and create a comprehensive report. Sustainability reports may also include different requirements based on governing bodies. For example, the European Union has their own sustainability reporting standards for large and listed companies and other countries across Southeast Asia also have their own respective sustainability reporting requirements.

Sustainability reports usually include the following:

1. Environmental data, such as energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, waste management, and biodiversity impacts.
2. Social data, including labor practices, human rights issues, community impacts, health and safety records, and employee diversity.
3. Governance data like corporate sustainability governance structures and practices, ethical conduct, compliance, and risk management.
4. Overall sustainability data such as materiality assessments, strategies, goals for future performance, and how the organization plans to address emerging issues and opportunities.

‍

Need help with other sustainability questions? 

Keslio is an international sustainability advisory that helps companies and investors navigate their sustainability journey. We support our clients through various services, such as strategy development and implementation, reporting and communications, and greenhouse gas emissions calculations.

We’re passionate about supporting business leaders and their companies with sustainability and ESG and we’d love to help you. To talk to us and find out what Keslio can do for you, please use the section below to contact us, or email us at hello@keslio.com.