The Yin and Yang of sustainability reporting

The Yin and Yang of sustainability reporting: Value creation and risk

July 2021

 

Value creation and risk are essential elements to balanced reporting — the Yin and Yang of sustainability strategy. Reporting on risks and opportunities is required for Integrated Reporting and is a fundamental principle of TCFD reporting, according to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. Martin Fryer, thinkstep-anz’s Head of Strategy & Impact NZ, shares insights based on his experience developing Integrated Reports and TCFD reporting in this webinar recording.

A sneak preview of the webinar. The full webinar recording can be downloaded below.

Key takeaways from webinar

  • Every company has material issues and risks regardless of size.
  • Larger organisations need more detailed and transparent disclosures in line with the greater size and scale of their risks and opportunities. However, the aim is still to keep your reporting concise (under 100 pages ideally).
  • Materiality assessments are more than just a reporting exercise; understanding the most important sustainability issues for your organisation can help to improve your governance, risk management processes, and organisational development.
  • Sustainability is not just about being green; sustainability issues also relate to how you treat people.
  • For bigger organisations, detailed reporting frameworks and related resources such as those provided by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB) will be a helpful guide.
  • The Task Force on Climate Related Disclosures (TCFD) reporting framework’s approach to disclosures using the four themes of governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets, could be applied to any organization and any sustainability issue of importance.
  • A sustainability report should reflect a sustainability story that is unique to your organisation. It should resonate with your people and your wider stakeholders.

The full webinar recording can be downloaded below.

Additional resources