A new study has revealed that four-in-five companies assessed now include a commitment in their sustainability reports to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), yet fewer than half set measurable targets for how their actions contribute towards fulfilling the Goals.
Analysis of GRI reports points to progress in SDGs integration
The publication from GRI and Support the Goals – State of Progress: Business Contributions to the SDGs – analyzes a sample of over 200 companies around the world that produced a GRI report in 2020. Key findings include:
- 83% of companies state that they support the SDGs, recognizing the value of aligning their reports with the Goals;
- 69% of companies articulate which Goals are most relevant to their
business, with 61% specifying how their actions support the SDGs;
- 40% of companies set measurable commitments for how they will help
achieve the SDGs, while 20% include evidence to assess their positive
impacts.
The research highlights trends in SDG reporting, with recommendations
on how companies can improve their communications and performance that
include:
- Providing targets on how they support the SDGs, particularly for
those that connect most closely to the companies activities, products or
business relationships;
- Deepen reporting on their positive contributions to the SDGs, while
also responding to stakeholder demands for transparency on negative
impacts;
- Make data on their SDG performance easily accessible by using internationally recognized frameworks, such as the GRI Standards;
- Collaborate on SDG reporting, sharing practices both up and down the
value chain, while doing more to engage their suppliers in this
important topic.
This study confirms the crucial role of sustainability reporting
in enabling companies to explore how their actions impact on the 2030
Agenda, while providing the transparency needed for governments and the
international community to measure progress on the SDGs. It is
encouraging, therefore, that we are seeing most GRI reporting companies
commit to alignment with the SDGs.
The urgent next step is to ramp up the role of the private sector in
contributing to solutions for fulfilling the Goals, which requires more
in-depth and quantifiable disclosure, which links SDG performance with
business strategy. Doing so not will only increase progress on the Goals
but it can also unlock opportunities for innovation and collaboration.”
Peter Paul van de Wijs, GRI Chief External Affairs Officer
If we’re to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,
every business needs to understand how they can contribute to them. It’s
wonderful to see that the majority of businesses in our research are
showing their support for the Goals. We now urgently need to see an
increase in the number of businesses setting measurable targets that
contribute to the SDGs, reporting on their progress and – crucially –
helping their suppliers understand how they can get involved."
Colin Curtis, Founder and Director of Support the Goals
The study
is based on a sample of 206 companies, analyzing their published GRI
sustainability reports and information from their websites. It applies
the Support the Goals methodology, with a ‘traffic light’ system of
ratings on SDG performance across key areas, with 1-5 star results given
for overall performance. Results are provided geographically, by
industry and by turnover.
GRI
© GRI - Global Reporting Initiative
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