There are some that say that governments will influence the future of sustainability reporting with reporting regulation. There are some that say that consumers will define what they want to hear from companies. There are others that think that NGOs are driving sustainability transparency forward. And academics, producing research on sustainability reporting, think they have the key to making it all work differently. All this is fine and every stakeholder group has the power to make a difference. But there is one additional way in which we can all influence the future of sustainability reporting and that's by giving recognition to the reports that inspired us for different reasons and helping them gain exposure.
That's why, around this time of year, every year, voting in the
CRRA online reporting awards has to be on the to-do list of everyone that has an interest in the future of sustainability reporting, which has proven itself to be a process which helps drive sustainability performance and yes, save the planet.
Looking at the line-up for
CRRA 14, there are over 50 worthy (some more, some less!) report candidates that are just waiting for you to take a look and vote.
Here are some entirely random quotes from most of the reports in the
CRRA 14 line-up which may inspire you. I selected lines that made me smile, or cringe, or nod, or agree, or raise my eyebrows....... but I won't say which is which :)
Note that these quotes are taken out of context, though I hope that this is not misleading in any way. However, perhaps this is why you may be intrigued to open up the report and take a look yourself.
(I didn't check out two reports which did not offer a PDF download. I like PDFs.)
Ascendas Pte Ltd: "As a progressive organisation,
Ascendas continues to be
forward-looking and expeditious
in adopting best practices."
Bloomberg LP: "Data is the life-blood of policy-making and the capital markets. Even with
the most sophisticated assumptions, regulations and financial models formulated on unreliable information are
liable to miss the mark and, worse still, compound the problem."
BMW AG: "For us, sustainability means: making decisions weighing up the environmental, economic and social aspects of our
actions. But we also examine all decisions on sustainable activities with regard to their profitability. This pays off."
British American Tobacco plc : "If you think nicotine causes most smoking-related diseases then you
are not alone. Even some doctors believe this."
China Southern Power Grid Co Ltd: "When most people have been enjoying modern convenience brought by electricity, there was a time when some
people in the five provinces and region in South China did not have access to it but relied on kerosene lantern and
pine tar for light. Modern civilization was far away from them."
Chocolats Halba: "It is not possible to manufacture chocolate sustainably without procuring
sustainable raw materials."
Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc: "We have mapped our stakeholders into key groups and continually
review this landscape to ensure we understand their views and are
able to communicate effectively and respond to their concerns on
issues of interest."
Colas Limited: "Road safety has been identified
as a key focus for our social
responsibility. This issue is
closely related to our operations
and presents an important
opportunity to make a big
difference."
Co-operative Group Limited: "With a history as long as ours it’s
inevitable that we’ve experienced all
manner of challenges, but throughout,
we’ve always stuck resolutely to our
Values and Principles and today is no
different."
Doosan Infracore Co Ltd: "The VC 630 / 5AX from Doosan Infracore is a high-rigidity vertical machining center
capable of controlling five axles simultaneously. Functionality, productivity and operator
convenience are all outstanding."
Ernst & Young Americas: "While formal learning plays a crucial role in our people’s
development, it is but one leg in the EYU “tripod.” Experiences
and coaching form the other two legs and are equally
important."
Fibria Celulose SA: "Fibria Cellulose's 2012 Sustainability Report is an education
in the detail of sustainable forest management
practices, and projects a deep-seated commitment to
high standards of environmental stewardship and good
citizenship." (haha, disclosure, I said that, in the review piece I wrote for Fibria in this report.)
Flughafen München GmbH: "Crises cannot be planned – but reactions to crises can
be."
Fromageries Bel SA: "Beyond the purely commercial act of buying something, consumers
are looking for products that resonate with their own awareness
of societal issues and desire for commitment, and the societal
commitment they perceive in brands which they want to continue
to trust."
GSK Latvia: "Vaccination (immunization) is the most effective
method of preventing widespread diseases – it
prevents an estimated annual 2.5 million deaths in
children worldwide." (Another disclosure: I helped write this report.)
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB: At H&M, we like to think of sustainability as a word of action, something we do rather than something we simply say."
Hess Corporation: "Tragically, we suffered two separate fatalities in 2012,
our first since 2008. These fatalities serve to remind us that our
work to keep our people safe can never stop as we continue to
strive to eliminate all accidents from our business.
Hewlett-Packard Company: "We are committed to maintaining renewables as a part of
our energy mix to make continued emissions reductions."
Hydro Québec: "Hydro-Québec takes steps to prevent or
mitigate noise from facilities near sensitive
environments, such as residential neighborhoods.
To prevent noise pollution, the company
installs quieter equipment."
IHS Inc: "Colleagues are passionate and understand that IHS is
building a very unique company focused on providing
tremendous value to customers, communities and
stakeholders."
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc: "Vanilla has global appeal that crosses cultures and demographics,
making it one of the world’s most popular flavors."
JSR Micro Inc.: "JSR Micro did not seek external assurance for this
first report. However, to the best of our ability, we
have confirmed that all information in the report is
accurately disclosed and presented."
Koninklijke BAM Groep nv: "The earlier we get involved in a development the greater the
opportunity we have to influence the sustainability of the
development at a lower cost."
Korea Water Resources Corporation: "Communication with stakeholders is the best way for corporations to search
for means to coexist with stakeholders."
Kuwait Petroleum International: "Sustainable growth is embedded in our commitment and we bring it to our workplace every day to
make sure this company has a sustainable future."
La Trobe University: "To support the development of staff,
the University invested over $2.5
million in staff training and conference
participation in 2012, or $792 per
full‑time equivalent on average."
LG U Plus Corporation: "The donation fund accumulated through the employee Quit Smoking
Program is used for the U+ Study Room of Love, which is a project for building a study environment for the
youths of low income families. The Regional Children Center in Sangam-dong is designated as the Study
Room of Love and the fund was used to install IT devices, redo the wall paper, and to exchange the boiler."
Maynilad Water Services, Inc: "The Company
is very strict to ensure that gender discrimination
is not tolerated in any way. Employees’ salary and
compensation are based on their performance and
designations, but never on their gender."
Microsoft Corporation: "The people who power our innovations drive our
success."
MillerCoors LLC: "Drunk driving fatalities are on the decline, and in 2011
were at record-low levels in the U.S."
MOL Group: "2013 could be just as challenging as 2012, taking into account slow economic growth in Europe or
the tightening regulatory environment in many countries."
Monsanto Company: "We live in dynamic times."
Natura Cosmeticos SA: "A Natura consumer for 16
years, Geni Alves is a frequent
buyer of perfumes from the Humor
line. With a birthday party
scheduled, she purchased the
gift over a week in advance."
Nizhny Novgorod Engineering Company - Atomenergoproek: "We are committed to responsible designing and construction of nuclear
and thermal power energy facilities and acknowledge that functioning
of Company’s subdivisions and branches, as any other anthropogenic
activity, may lead to a negative impact upon the environment."
Novelis Inc: "Aluminum’s
infinite recyclability is the other essential component of its
sustainability footprint, and recycling aluminum uses dramatically less
energy than manufacturing primary aluminum."
Novo Nordisk A/S: "Most annual reports these days talk about how the state of the
global economy and the ensuing austerity measures put pressure
on businesses. This report is no exception."
Pacific Hydro Pty Limited: "In relation to energy infrastructure of all types, we believe that
the community needs confidence in the regulatory and planning
authorities and the information provided by them about wind farms."
PanAust Limited: "We continue to be very impressed by the progress we observe
in our Lao workforce."
Port Metro Vancouver: "Canada is a trading nation. From coast to coast to coast,
people rely on the goods that move through ports."
Royal Dutch Shell plc: "The world is at the beginning of a transformation in energy use. Global
population is rising, living standards are improving for many and more
people are moving to cities. Demand for energy could rise by up to 80% by
around 2050 as it powers rapid economic development."
SK Hynix Inc: "There is a saying that the future, despite being unpredictable, is the present to those who challenge and create."
SK Telecom Co Ltd: "When people and companies explore new possibilities for a better world, SK Telecom always stands by and works with them to
be "happy together."
Smithfield Foods Inc: "As a food company, we believe we have a responsibility to
help feed families who are struggling to afford the food
they need."
STMicroelectronics NV: "Energy-efficiency and eco-design are now
key consumer requirements for products."
The British Land Company plc: "Our strong reputation for community engagement makes us more likely to become the partner of choice for local authorities and others."
The Crown Estate: "We are privileged to own and manage some of
the most diverse assets in the UK."
Tieto Corporation: "Based on the employee survey, people feel that their competences
are well matched to role expectations. We also rate our leaders
higher than ever before."
Toronto-Dominion Bank: "I have long held the view that a bank’s primary purpose
is to create wealth in the real economy."
Vancouver City Savings Credit Union (Vancity): "Where we allocate capital today determines our society's future health."
Wilderness Holdings Limited: "Thirty years ago the founders of Wilderness fell in love with remote
and wild places in Africa. They realised that many of these places
were not getting the attention they deserved."
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc: "We also accepted smaller broccoli, leeks and swedes in our
standard vegetable range and courgettes that were lightly marked
by wind and rain."
Got inspired?
Smiled?
Cringed?
Nodded?
Learned something new?
Go VOTE! Influence the future of sustainability reporting NOW! This is your chance! Do something to save the planet! Ok... I am getting carried away... but I do think it's important to give recognition to great reporters...so I think it would be great if you could include your voice.
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