- Dr Gavin Mudd, Monash University
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It is critical for all manner of organisations to ‘walk the talk’ and show that “actions speak louder than words” with respect to sustainability. A rapidly growing way of demonstrating sustainability performance is through public sustainability reporting - akin to financial reporting but focussed on the various aspects of sustainability, such as the three pillars of social, economic and environmental aspects. Many major organisations in Australia now produce annual sustainability reports, including public and private companies, corporations, utilities, charities, community groups and even select government departments.
The most popular protocol for public sustainability reporting is the United Nations’-auspiced ‘Global Reporting Initiative’ (GRI), a coalition of civic, government and industry partners. Using the GRI, reports include data and analyses of social issues, including human rights and labour conditions, energy consumption, solid, liquid and gaseous wastes, especially greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and economic contributions (taxes, wages, royalties etc), amongst other indicators. This paper reviews the GRI, and presents a broad ranging survey of the use of such reporting across Australia. The principal focus is on mining, utilities and consulting engineering groups as well as some government departments and major institutions such as banks.
A brief comparison to overseas practice will also be incorporated. It is critical for many organisations that they can reliably demonstrate their sustainability performance with more than mere marketing buzz phrases - and GRI-style sustainability reporting facilitates such substantial evidence very well. In order to continue on the journey towards sustainability, public sustainability reporting will become increasingly common and, perhaps, just as important as statutory financial reporting (if not more so).