2Sustain

GRI Guidelines were first introduced in 2000, and since then, most sustainability reports have been published as printed documents. Recently, however, more and more companies are reporting their CSR data online in PDF format. Obviously, digital reporting reduces paper use –and cuts costs, too. But, how does the use of online technology impact access to sustainability information? Are companies that use online reporting effectively communicating with their stakeholders?

A new study form Radley Yeldar, a communications consultancy based in the UK, and The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) takes a look at questions like those, and the results may surprise you. While the study confirmed that sustainability reporting, in general, is becoming increasingly more common, the research also suggests that using digital technology actually makes it more difficult to find GRI data. Why? Because companies are distributing their sustainability information across multiple sources. Consider this:

• 82.5% of organizations in the study produce more than one report on sustainability.
• 40% of organizations put all their GRI information in one report,
• 60% of companies distribute their GRI information across two or more sources, 
• and 22.5% put the information in three or more locations. 
• Only 30% of the organizations studied have a direct link to their sustainability report on their homepage. 
• 32.5% provide a full online report with PDF as the format of choice.

If your organization is now turning to online sustainability reporting, it’s critically important to realize that splintering sustainability data across multiple channels makes it harder for stakeholders to get a full picture of your progress. The study highlights examples of CSR reports that are particularly user-friendly, and it also includes suggestions to improve online access to your company’s sustainability information. The full report, “Trends in Online Sustainability Reporting,” is available at www.sustainabilityreportingonline.com/overview/  Check it out, and then, stay tuned –the tools, channels, and expectations for sustainability reporting continue to evolve.