What we found
When the first GRI Guidelines were released in 2000, most sustainability reports were a single, printed document. Today, for a variety of reasons, it is more accurate to talk about sustainability “reporting” – that is to say, providing public information across a range of channels.
By reducing the cost of communication, digital technology can
contribute to this splintering of information. We do not have
historical data to compare against our findings, but we expect that
as sustainability reporting is increasingly published online, this
trend away from the “report” and towards reporting across a number
of channels will increase.
To the extent that this splintering makes it harder for users to
access information, or to assess whether they have even seen all
the relevant information, digital technology could actually reduce
the effectiveness of sustainability reporting. A very simple
solution to this – made possible by online reporting – is to use a
fully hyperlinked GRI Content Index to help users find and access
the information they care about.
- In our survey:
- 60% report GRI information in more than one location
- However, only 40% had any degree of interactivity in their GRI Content Index, often making it hard to find GRI information online.
While every company that we analyzed had an online sustainability presence, we were surprised to find that the most current digital technologies seem to be used less in sustainability reporting than for other corporate communication areas.
- In our survey:
- 50% publish using a simple PDF format
Few companies are taking advantage of the more innovative uses
of technology. No company in our survey used XBRL to tag data; none
used Web 2.0 technologies to create engagement and dialogue with
users of their primary report; and even where other online
functionalities are being used, these tend to focus on ‘design’
rather than functionality. For example, whereas 27.5% of the
companies in our sample use Flash to enhance the look and feel of
their report; only 7.5% let users subscribe to a mailing list to
get updated content.
Keep reading: A snapshot of
statistics