In recent decades, organizations increasingly find that their profit and loss statements are influenced by parameters that do not feature on the balance sheet. These external parameters are “sustainability” factors that could be economic, environmental or social in nature. Sustainability reporting gives organizations a framework to identify these sustainability issues, and to understand their impacts on its businesses. It helps an organization recognize the interdisciplinary aspects of the triple bottom line (economic, social and environmental) performance.

 

What is sustainability reporting?

A sustainability report is a report published by a company or organization about the economic, environmental and social impacts caused by its everyday activities. A sustainability report also presents the organization's values and governance model, and demonstrates the link between its strategy and its commitment to a sustainable global economy.

 

Systematic sustainability reporting helps organizations to measure the impacts they cause or experience, set goals, and manage change. A sustainability report is the key platform for communicating sustainability performance and impacts – whether positive or negative. Sustainability reporting is therefore a vital resource for managing change towards a sustainable global economy – one that combines long term profitability with ethical behaviour, social justice and environmental care.

 

Sustainability Reporting in India

Sustainability Reporting in India is in its nascent stage. Companies are still grappling with the need for such disclosure. However, with and recent regulatory reforms about organizations’ disclosing sustainability footprints  and increasing pressure from Stakeholders, a growing number of companies are starting to embrace  Sustainability Reporting practices.

 

In India the trend of Sustainability Reporting is yet to become a mainstream activity though, the trend shows that the number of companies that are releasing such reports is on rising. This trend demonstrates that the businesses are benefiting from such practices and slowly the paradigm is shifting from “Traditional thinking” to “Sustainable Thinking”

 

Social Equity Advisory Services has formed a strategic collaboration with Insight Associates (one of the exclusive GRI training partners in India, certified by GRI since 2009) to support organizations in their sustainability journey through a range of capacity building & Advisory services.  The collaboration works as capacity enhancers and Value Creation Agents, supporting organizations to initiate, integrate and institutionalize the Reporting process, using GRI Framework.