Beyond Sustainability Reporting

New standards, such as those from the International Sustainability Standards Board, and new Securities and Exchange Commission regulations are pushing companies to disclose more, and better, about their Environmental, Social and Governance activities. Many are responding by adjusting their controls and procedures to include sustainability processes. Gerald Trites argues that for companies that genuinely want to help with sustainability, this is not enough.

This book lays out a more action-oriented approach. It explains how to build real sustainability actions into corporate strategic plans and how to use the skills developed through sustainability disclosure, such as integrated thinking. It covers proper adoption of recognized control standards accepted by regulators, and it adapts traditional management change tools, including SWOT analysis and Porter's Five Forces model, to take sustainability into account.

The book shows how a company can progress from sustainability disclosure to integrated thinking and then to Corporate Social Responsibility. It is aimed at companies that want to make a real contribution on sustainability, educators who teach sustainability and how to manage it, and anyone curious about how businesses can build a successful, action-oriented sustainability program.