News
ACCA news
- ACCA Australia launches the second in its trilogy of research reports, looking at the standard of climate change disclosures
- This report is the second of three in a series of research projects carried out by ACCA Australia/NZ, in partnership with Net Balance Foundation Limited, investigating trends in certain selected areas of sustainability reporting and disclosures in Australia. The aim of this trilogy of research projects is to delve deeper into three key areas of sustainability reporting by analysing the level and quality of disclosures by large Australian corporates, specifically the ASX Top 50.
- ACCA launches new social and environmental reporting research
- The research, entitled ‘social and environmental reporting: the business case’ was carried out by Dr Crawford Spence and Professor Rob Gray at the University of St Andrews.
- ACCA holds two workshops on climate change reporting and assurance
- The climate change workshop was held as a follow up to the 2006 UK Sustainability Reporting Awards theme, in partnership with FTSE Group. The assurance workshop was held in response to the ongoing debate on the usability of assurance statements for readers, as highlighted by the Report of the Judges for the 2006 UK Sustainabilty Reporting Awards.
Climate change news
- Survey finds that most investors are concerned about climate change
- The Association of Investment Companies asked over 1,000 regular investors whether concerns about global warming would have any impact on their financial planning.
- University of Cambridge Programme for Industry launches Cambridge Climate Leaders Reference Guide
- The guide is designed to help leaders on climate change to navigate through the growing number of documents and websites available on climate change.
- Reuters launches climate news feed
- Reuters has launched a web site that offers access to its climate change and carbon market news.
Reporting and assurance news
- European Parliament has voted to make social and environmental reporting mandatory for member state companies
- Support for integrated social, environmental and financial reporting backed by regulation was one of 70 proposals agreed in Strasbourg and will be put forward to the EC. However, it is uncertain whether this will become law, given the Commission’s support for deregulation and simplification.
- Deloitte and German government come up with top environmental KPIs for ten industry sectors
- Deloitte and the German government have jointly devised principal environmental KPIs for ten industry sectors. The KPIs were produced after consulting investors and analysts and reviewing the current levels of non-financial disclosures of Germany’s largest 30 companies.
- Accounting Standards Board analysis shows reporters are using OFR guidance, despite it being defunct
- The study, which analysed five recent surveys of narrative reporting plus the ASB’s own review of 23 annual reports published since the Companies Act came into force, found that the principles outlined in the OFR reporting statement are being widely adopted by quoted companies.
- AA1000AS guidance note out for consultation
- AccountAbility have opened a consolation for its latest Guidance note on assurance. The Guidance Note on Assurance Levels & Statements provides a new view of the concept of levels while providing guidance on the determining the reliability of information and the scope of the subject matter during an assurance engagement. It also addresses the question of assurance statements and provides a sample assurance statement that meets both the requirements of the AA1000AS and the ISAE 3000.
- Canadian body calls for better corporate disclosures
- The Canadian Securities Commission have been urged by a government-appointed body to produce guidelines requiring enhanced disclosures on social and environmental impacts.
- Stand alone environmental reports on their way out
- Statistics released by CorporateRegister.com show that stand alone environmental reports account for less than 15% of the total number of reports published in the UK in 2006.
- A further 200 companies de-listed from the UN Global Compact
- 203 companies have been de-listed from the UN Global Compact for failing to produce an annual report outlining how they are implementing the Compact’s ten principles.
Miscellaneous news
- Development of new ISO standard for social responsibility reaches positive turning point
- The development of the future ISO 26000 standard giving guidance on social responsibility has reached a positive ‘turning point’ in terms of consensus and trust among the broad base of participating stakeholders.
- The carbon trust launches new carbon labelling scheme
- The Carbon Trust has announced a new labelling scheme that will show consumers the size of a product's carbon footprint.
- New IFC study
- The report provided practical examples of 14 financial institutions in 12 countries that have taken concrete steps to integrate sustainability into their policies, practices, products, and services.
- Internet users invited to make judgement on social and environmental performance
- A new website, called dotherightthing.com, is inviting internet users to make a judgement on the social and environmental performance of companies. It allows users, including company representatives, to post information on CSR initiatives or alleged wrong-doings which are then commented on by readers.
- Covalence launches new live ‘Ethical Quote’ service
- Each week, this tool uploads data and results measuring the ethical reputation of 200 companies within 10 major sectors.
- GRI Update
- A summary of GRI activity in the last quarter.
- New reports published
- A comprehensive list of the latest reports published is provided by CorporateRegister.com