Columnists
How to involve relevant inhouse teams in sustainability reporting
Monday February 05 2024
Capacity building is fundamental in getting internal stakeholders involved with sustainability reporting. PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK
Moving from traditional reporting to sustainability reporting requires a careful and deliberate approach that ensures all key internal stakeholders of an organisation are aligned with the change and contribute meaningfully to the transition.
Organisations that navigate this change successfully provide lasting improvements towards sustainability reporting. A change management approach that gets the buy-in from key internal stakeholders and teams on the sustainability reporting journey is a vital recipe when switching from traditional reporting.
It is more efficient and effective when all internal teams and functions in an organisation are involved and actively engaged in sustainability reporting, irrespective of which team might be primarily responsible for the sustainability report. Organisations’ coordination and collaboration when preparing sustainability reports is more efficient when key internal stakeholders understand their role and are actively involved. Here are some steps organisations could take to maximise this collaboration:
Capacity building is fundamental in getting internal stakeholders involved with sustainability reporting. It is only fair that these stakeholders get an appreciable knowledge of the benefits, including understanding their role in preparing sustainability reports.
Organisations must invest in creating the proper awareness that highlights the business case for embracing sustainability that goes beyond compliance. On many occasions, coordinating internal teams when preparing sustainability reports can be frustrating because of their limited knowledge and understanding. Solving this knowledge gap is where capacity building helps by ensuring internal teams have the required knowledge to support the sustainability reporting ambitions.
Another critical step is designing internal processes that support sustainability reporting that involves relevant internal teams on a business-as-usual basis. It helps to clarify roles and responsibilities around reporting on an ongoing basis, provides continuous involvement from relevant internal teams and results in effective decision-making. For instance, organisations can debate how to disclose new sustainability-related key performance indicators, considering the feedback from respective teams to ensure an optimal outcome.
For example, the legal team can provide input on new disclosures to ensure they are done appropriately, avoiding unintended consequences following a move to sustainability reporting.
Akinyemi Awodumila is a Partner at Deloitte East Africa. He is an author who writes and speaks widely on corporate reporting topics.
