Respondents to the first Readers’ Choice Survey and Awards in 2008 threw down the gauntlet; sustainability reporting generally needed to become more connected with the corporate strategy. Have reporters taken note and has sustainability reporting progressed? One of the main sessions during the GRI Conference explored this year’s readers’ verdict and what reporters can do to meet their readers’ expectations. During the session the content partners of the Readers’ Choice Survey and Awards KPMG, Futerra and SustainAbility presented their analysis and were questioned by a panel of critics.

Most evidently, the second Readers’ Choice Survey and Awards has provided us once again with unique insights into the readers’ views on sustainability reporting’s effectiveness. New this year was the creation of a Reporters’ Survey in order to compare readers’ and reporters’ objectives in reporting. Some of the main questions that were asked in the surveys were ‘why should an organization report?’, ‘do you consider reporting to be green wash?’ and ‘is sustainability reporting actually affecting real change?’

In response to the first question, the content partners interpreted the results as follows: both readers and reporters are in agreement that the purpose of sustainability reporting is to improve performance. ‘Over 70% of both respondents agree the primary reason to report is ‘to account for an organization’s sustainability performance’. Improving internal processes’ was a close second choice, selected by 75% of readers and 65% of reporters.’

In response to the second question, the content partners drew the following conclusion: ‘no, reporting is clearly not considered to be green wash’. They found that 90% of all readers strongly disagree, demonstrating that robust reporting is a trusted information channel. Even more so, they concluded that sustainability reporting is actually building trust. The survey outcomes showed that the top factors for increasing trust included presenting robust data which proves progress, having a track record of actual actions, and having clear link between sustainability and an organization’s core strategies.

In response to the third question, the content partners concluded that sustainability reporting changes both the reporter and the reader. When done effectively, 98% of readers agree that reporting improves an organization’s performance over time. Also, half of the readers surveyed agreed they use reporting to ‘inform decisions to invest/divest in the organization’, over half of the readers also use the information they read to decide on a purchase, service or relationship with that organization, and 41% stated that reporting affects their consumer behavior.

The Survey Factsheet, a joint effort of the content partners which was presented during the session, highlights a selection of the main findings. In the fall of 2010, this top line factsheet will be joined by a Survey Report that will provide an in depth analysis of the opinion and characteristics of today’s readers and reporters.

For downloading the Survey factsheet and getting the Survey Report once it has been published, please click here. 



Media Contact - GRI Readers’ Choice Awards
Global Reporting Initiative
Marjella Alma, Readers’ Choice Awards and Report Services
e: alma@globalreporting.org
t: +31 (0)20 531 00 36

Speakers Readers’ and Reporters’ Survey – Mainhall Session GRI Conference 2010
Moderator
Dr. Allen White, Vice President, Tellus Institute, and Former Chief Executive, GRI
Exclusive Sponsor
Ms. Ana Paula Grether, Coordinator of Petrobras Social and Environmental Report
Readers’ Choice Awards Content Partners
Ms. Solitaire Townsend, Co-Founder, Futerra
Mr. Wim Bartels, Partner and Global Head of Sustainability Assurance Services, KPMG NL
Mr. Jean-Philippe Renaut, Program Manager, SustainAbility Ltd
Mr. Etienne Butruille, Director, KPMG Global Sustainability Services (Spain)
Panel questioning the Content Partners
Mr. Marc Gunther , Contributing editor, FORTUNE, Senior writer, GreenBiz.com
Ms. Erin Lyon , Executive Director, CSR Asia
Ms. Helle Bank Jorgensen, US Sustainability Advisory Practice Leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Ms. Celia Rosemblum, Editor of Special Projects, Valor Economico

About The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
The Global Reporting Initiative has pioneered the development of the world’s most widely used Sustainability Reporting Framework and is committed to its continuous improvement and application worldwide. This framework sets out the principles and indicators that organizations can use to measure and report their economic, environmental, and social performance.

About The Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency
From 26 to 28 May 2010, Amsterdam will play host to the world’s largest gathering of leaders, thinkers and doers in the field of sustainability reporting for the third time. This years’ timely theme is ‘Rethink. Rebuild. Report.’ The conference will explore how to reach GRI’s vision that disclosure on environmental, social, and governance performance is as mainstream as financial reporting by the year 2020. Close to 200 speakers from business, finance, politics and civil society will share their views and debate in more than 50 sessions on how to achieve a transition to a sustainable economy.