Document Abstract
Published:
2003
Striking the balance: sustainable development reporting
Survey of sustainability reporting and guide for companies producing reports
This report argues that sustainable reporting can help companies to protect their reputation and brand and gain competitive advantage.
The report covers three main areas:
- a step-by-step guide to help companies to improve or develop their reports
- recommendations on how to bridge the gap between the information needs of the financial community and the reporting practices of companies
- insight into the debate on the standardization of reporting formats
The authors outline five dilemmas to establishing a framework for sustainable development reporting. The mounting pressure from major stakeholders for companies to disclose information on a wider range of issues is shifting sustainable reporting from a past of voluntary undertakings to a future of specific and mandatory requirements.
The WBCSD has also developed an online "reporting portal" which features practices drawn from 50 WBCSD members Sustainable development reporting portal. This online resource provides a guide to reporting as well as a searchable database providing timelines for a number of large corporations' sustainability reporting.
