Beyond reporting: creating business value and accountability

Arguing that current accountability codes, standards and other instruments are rather complex and businesses struggle with making sense of them, this document proposes a new approach to accountability which will help business understand the complex relationship between accountability, sustainable development and their core business strategies.

The basis of such a new approach is to take on a broader view of accountability, which will ultimately enable business to rebuild trust.

In order to take a broader approach to accountability successful companies should:

• articulate their own vision of accountability and sustainability, and embed it within core business strategies to create value
• use accountability codes proactively as tools to change mindsets about the relationship between value creation and sustainable development – not simply being reactive for the sake of compliance
• make accountability and value creation mutually reinforcing throughout the enterprise, integrating sustainable development across functions rather than creating a specialist silo.