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What Should be Present in a Sustainability Report?

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Congratulation! You have decided to hop onto the ESG journey. You hear so much confusion on reporting and disclosure and you wonder… What should be the key items inside a sustainability report? 

Most companies listed on a stock exchange is required to comply with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”) or the Global Reporting Initiative (“GRI”). 

The sustainability report should comprise the following primary components: 

(a) Material ESG factors. The sustainability report should identify the material ESG factors, and describe both the reasons for and the process of selection, taking into consideration their relevance or impact to the business, strategy, financial planning, business model and key stakeholders.

(b) Climate-related disclosures. The sustainability report should contain disclosures related to climate risks and opportunities, consistent with the TCFD recommendations.
(c) Policies, practices and performance. The sustainability report should set out the issuer’s policies, practices and performance in relation to the material ESG factors identified, providing descriptive and quantitative information on each of the identified material ESG factors for the reporting period. Performance should be described in the context of previously disclosed targets.
(d) Targets. The sustainability report should set out the issuer’s targets for the forthcoming year in relation to each material ESG factor identified. Targets should be considered for defined short, medium and long term horizons, and if not consistent with those used for strategic planning and financial reporting, the reasons for the inconsistency should be disclosed.
(e) Sustainability reporting framework. The issuer should select a sustainability reporting framework (or frameworks) to guide its reporting and disclosure. For climate-related disclosures, the issuer should report based on the TCFD recommendations. The sustainability reporting framework(s) selected should be appropriate for and suited to its industry and business model. The issuer should state the name of the framework(s), explain its reasons for choosing the framework(s) and provide a general description of the extent of the issuer’s application of the framework(s).
(f) Board statement. The sustainability report should contain a statement of the Board that it has considered sustainability issues in the issuer’s business and strategy, determined the material ESG factors and overseen the management and monitoring of the material ESG factors. In addition, the sustainability report should describe the roles of the Board and the management in the governance of sustainability issues.


Your ESG consultant will bring your organisatoin through a guided journey to discover the ESG performance and prioritise material ESG factors. 

 
Source: SGX