Global Trends in Sustainability Performance — Do Not Publish
This white paper from SAP and the Economist Intelligence Unit was given to all registrants to the Greener World Media webcast, “Taking an Integrated Approach to Sustainability.”
From the introduction to the report:
In just over ten years, corporate sustainability reporting has shifted from voluntary to the vital. According to CorporateRegister.com, an independent reference source, fewer than 500 companies issued sustainability reports in 1999. That number is now close to 3,500, reflecting the growing trend among companies worldwide to issue reports demonstrating their commitment to environmental and social targets along with traditional financial ones.
According to KPMG’s most recent International Survey of Corporate Sustainability Reporting, in 2008 close to 80% of the world’s 250 largest companies issued sustainability reports, compared to the 50% who did so in 2005. (KPMG refers to this group as the G250, drawn from the 2007 Fortune Global 500 list). The results of this survey also point to the fact that sustainability reporting, while widely adopted by large companies in Europe for several years has become a mainstream practice in the US.
Sustainability reports, often called corporate social responsibility or even integrated reports, now contain more detailed performance metrics and reflect the priority companies have given to measuring and managing the impact of their operations. Global standards have played an important role in the development of sustainability reporting and performance management. For example, over 1,000 companies globally have adopted the Global Reporting Initiative’s third generation, or G3, standards since their launch just four years ago. These standards make reporting more open and accountable, and provide a universal framework for disclosure.
