UK FRC calls for consideration of climate change risk and importance of stakeholders to value creation

Posted on August 25, 2018 · Leave a Comment

by Carol A Adams Main points: Acknowledgement that climate change presents risks for companies Recognition that stakeholders are important to the long-term success of a company Support for increasing integration of non-financial information in corporate reporting Agreement on the need for disclosures on how value is created There is a disconnect between academic research and […]

Filed Under: Corporate reporting, Integrated reporting, Stakeholder engagement

When interests collide: dealing with stakeholder conflict and other complexities

Posted on September 14, 2016 · Leave a Comment

By Carol A Adams Development in emerging economies such as India is occurring at a rapid pace as the Earth is heading towards climate disaster.  The social and environmental issues are complex, interrelated and sometimes conflicting, particularly when it comes to the trade-off between local and global issues.  The positions of civil society organisations and […]

Filed Under: Accounting, Stakeholder engagement, Sustainability Accounting, Management & Policy Jnl

Changing behaviour through sustainable sourcing and responsible lending

Posted on June 7, 2014 · Leave a Comment

written by Sachiko Suzuki Increasing globalisation is making it increasingly harder to trace where and how goods are sourced and produced, or where your savings and superannuation are ultimately being invested. This article was spurred by a recent Oxfam report on the linkages between Australian Big-Four banks and land grabbing in developing countries: Banking on […]

Filed Under: Embedding sustainability, Financial services sector, Natural capital, Stakeholder engagement

Sustainability reporting: A tool for improving returns to shareholders?

Posted on May 15, 2014 · Leave a Comment

written by Carol Adams Can reporting on Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) issues increase returns to shareholders? Surveys conducted by consulting firms have found that the majority of CEOs link social responsibility initiatives with profitability.   Academic research has consistently found a positive link between social performance and financial performance. But making that link at an individual […]

Filed Under: Corporate reporting, Events & presentations, Governance & integrated thinking, Integrated reporting, Stakeholder engagement, Sustainability reporting

Moral accounting? Employee disclosures from a stakeholder accountability perspective

Posted on February 24, 2014 · Leave a Comment

by Sarah Williams and Carol A Adams.  Published in the Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine how disclosure of employee issues by a large UK bank (the NatWest) may or may not promote transparency and accountability (as assessed by the completeness of the account with respect to material […]

Filed Under: Books & journal articles, Corporate reporting, Human capital & diversity, Stakeholder engagement

Getting on Board: materiality and stakeholder engagement processes for integrated reporting

Posted on January 6, 2014 · Leave a Comment

written by Carol Adams This article was first published on CSRWire on 30th December 2013 Many years ago a group of accountants, sustainability leaders, advisors and activists and big accounting firms got together to develop a principles-based process framework to support organizational learning and “social and ethical, environmental and economic” performance. They drew on tried […]

Filed Under: Accounting, Embedding sustainability, Governance & integrated thinking, Integrated reporting, Materiality, Stakeholder engagement, Sustainability reporting

How stakeholders drive accountability in corporate sustainability reporting

Posted on August 20, 2013 · Leave a Comment

How might changes in sustainability reporting aimed at improving accountability for corporate performance to key stakeholder group be brought about? This post is relevant to stakeholders wishing to effect change towards greater corporate accountability for material social and environmental impacts.  And it is relevant to corporate leaders wishing to understand their stakeholders. The post contains […]

Filed Under: Stakeholder engagement, Sustainability reporting

Linking stakeholder engagement and strategy in Universities

Posted on June 25, 2013 · Leave a Comment

written by Carol Adams A review of strategic planning documents on University websites reveals that few pay more than lip service to key contemporary sustainability challenges and risks.  When they do the focus tends to be on operational issues and infrastructure rather than education, research and community engagement. Linked to this stakeholder engagement in Universities […]

Filed Under: Embedding sustainability, Governance & integrated thinking, Stakeholder engagement, University sector

Understanding (how sustainability fits into) your business model

Posted on April 4, 2013 · 1 Comment

written by Carol Adams What is your business model?  Do your senior managers and Board fully appreciate the various elements and how they all fit together?  Probably not. There are different view about what the term ‘business model’ means. The International Integrated Reporting Councils’s (IIRC) recently released Business Model Background Paper for <IR> calls for […]

Filed Under: Embedding sustainability, Governance & integrated thinking, Integrated reporting, Materiality, Natural capital, Stakeholder engagement