Posts Tagged ‘alex nichols’

Integration: Proceed with caution

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

More of our clients are asking us about integrating their sustainability disclosure into their company’s main annual report. So in my fourth post on key issues in CR and sustainability reporting, some words of caution about going down the integration route . . .

As sustainability issues take their rightful place at the heart of business decision-making, they will no longer be seen as add-ons to be covered in a separate report. Instead, they will be material enough to merit inclusion as a core part of annual reports for mainstream investors.

The logical next step for reporters might then be for the annual report to swallow the sustainability report completely – as is already the case in some organisations.
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Can large hotels respond to sustainability challenges?

Friday, November 20th, 2009

The World Travel Market (WTM) in London last week showed that the hotel and leisure industry is seeing growing demand for responsible travel.

Faced with a changed economic climate, travellers are seeking less luxury and more authenticity by getting closer to the people, communities and surroundings of their destinations. Often this involves taking on an activity rather than sunbathing constantly.
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The great GRI debate

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

The third in my series of posts on CR and sustainability reporting. This time, I’m looking at an issue that comes up a lot in my discussions with would-be reporters: the GRI guidelines and their pros and cons . . . 

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sustainability reporting guidelines are viewed with mixed feelings by reporters. At Two Tomorrows, we helped shape the original guidelines and are an official ‘organisational stakeholder’ of GRI, so of course we’re broadly supportive. But we do understand the reservations some companies have, and frequently support those who don’t use GRI at all.
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The five most common reporting traps

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

The second in a series of reflections on CR and sustainability reporting. This time, I’m looking at how you can set your report apart from the herd by avoiding the five most common reporting traps . . .

If you report your company’s sustainability performance, do you baulk at the idea of writing the sustainability report? If you have an interest in a company or its product, do you relish the idea of reading the sustainability report?
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It’s never too early to start reporting

Friday, August 28th, 2009

I am going to look at various aspects of corporate responsibility and sustainability reporting in a series of ‘reporting notes’ over the next few weeks. First, some thoughts for newbie reporters . . .

When it comes to sustainability reporting, companies often struggle, either with what to report, how to report it, or why they’re reporting. Sometimes all three. Many also struggle with gathering the raw data for the report.
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