As 2012 winds down, 2013 looks to be an even more promising year for
sustainability reporting. More companies are integrating corporate social
responsibility within their overall corporate strategy, rather than treating it
as some pesky public relations maneuver relegated to the basement office. Plenty
of forces are at work: more countries are close to mandating integrated
reporting (combining financial and CSR information into one report); the Global
Reporting Initiative (GRI) is mulling even more suggested disclosures; and, at a
core level, companies realize that their stakeholders are demanding more
transparency about their effects on the environment and society. Information,
not platitudes and pictures, reign in the best of the best CSR reports.
Here are Triple Pundit’s list of the top 10 sustainability reports of 2012 (in
alphabetical order):
Cisco: Chock full of detailed information on everything from
sustainable packaging to supplier diversity to how the company confronts bribery
and corruption in the nations in which it operates, Cisco is definitely a top three CSR report. Anyone who knows they
have Cisco tucked somewhere in his or her stock portfolio, but lacks an
understanding about what the company and its industry do, should read the latest
sustainability report. It is a great learning
tool.
Coca-Cola: The sugary syrup giant certainly has its critics, but we
are talking about CSR and sustainability reporting–not “sustainability.”
As far as layout, content and ease of finding information go,
Coke’s CSR report is an excellent template. Its
European cousin, Coca-Cola
Enterprises, is another leader for its disclosure on carbon
emissions and work on sustainable packaging. So really, this article is a list
of the top 11 reports.
Intel: Most CSR reporters tuck its information on governance and
ethics in the back of the report. A multinational company where its operations
touch–and are affected by–public policy, human rights and governance, Intel’s
interactive report front-loads these disclosures at the beginning of its most recent interactive report.
Marks and Spencer: The venerable British department store chain is a
leader in integrated reporting. Balancing profits and
stewardship of the planet, the company’s most recent update of its “Plan A” reads like a syllabus of what a
sustainable company is all about. Plus M&S plunked the 66-year-old and
fabulous Joanna Lumley on
its report cover page–that alone pushes the company close to the top of this
list.
Microsoft: The company has been busy with its YouthSpark initiative this year; add the fact
that the company has led on human rights and responsible sourcing, and it is
almost easy to forget that Microsoft is a software company.
Nike: Last spring the apparel and athletic shoe
company released an interactive sustainability report that
challenged visitors to design their own sustainable athletic gear. The report
brings CSR to the mainstream and is a great educational tool for sustainability
professionals.
Philips: Another integrated reporting leader, Philips’ latest report dissects the company’s
financial and sustainability metrics thoroughly. Sure, the company is a
multi-billion dollar seller of more sustainable and responsible products, and
its EcoVision5 program is a compelling roadmap towards a leaner and greener
company. The sustainability statements on its web site are
a seamless way for stakeholders to track the company’s progress on a bevy of
issues.
SAP: The enterprise software leader keeps its CSR
report on the cloud instead of presenting it in a PDF
format. SAP reveals not only a lot about its sustainability performance within
its own operations, but also about how customers using its products have
accomplished impressive accomplishments in environmental stewardship and supply
chain sustainability.
Unilever: The company that updates its sustainability performance best
in real time is Unilever. Two years into its ambitious Sustainable Living Plan, the Dutch-British
consumer goods behemoth provides a wealth of data on its brands accomplishments
on challenges including nutrition, sanitation and water use across the
world.
UPS: Upfront about its energy-intensive logistics business, UPS’ most recent annual sustainability report is an
exhaustive disclosure about its challenges and environmental performance.
Source: Triple Pundit
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