Insights
Our perspective on what's ahead in sustainability and ESG.
Habitat and Biodiversity Loss: Where Have All the Foxes Gone?
This past summer I experienced a novel sight in my backyard: multiple red foxes passing through in the middle of the day, sometimes with a mouth full of a small critter bound to be dinner. I had never seen a red fox so up close and was taken by their beauty, sleekness and agility. But my small, suburban yard sandwiched in between two relatively busy streets in the Portland, Maine area did not seem like a likely place for foxes to appear, so I was also a bit perplexed and concerned.
Turning reporting challenges into opportunities: Communications case studies from our clients
This time of year, we hear from folks who are feeling a little apprehensive about the upcoming sustainability reporting season. We get it. There are often just a few months of breathing room in between launching last year’s report and starting the hard work all over again.
No need to fret. In this blog, we’ve compiled innovative solutions to some of the most common reporting communication challenges from the work we’ve done with our clients. You may just find an exciting idea to ease some of the anxiety.
4 strategic steps to take your ESG communications from “check the box” to “must-read”
You spend countless hours developing your organization’s environmental and social programs and policies, setting goals and working to advance them. These challenging and game-changing efforts produce value for your company and for society, so of course you want the world to know about it.
What is the EU Taxonomy?
Clients are beginning to ask questions about the EU Taxonomy - what is it and does it apply to your business? We wanted to provide a quick overview and some resources that can help your company answer questions about this somewhat complicated ESG reporting standard unfolding in Europe.
Staying Current on GRI Guidance
In the ever- evolving world of sustainability reporting standards, it’s tough to keep track of the new guidance emerging and changes to previously established standards. We’ve written before about the consolidation of frameworks and shared our recommendations for preparing reporting indices to help demystify the potentially confusing space. In this blog, we summarize changes to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards that went into effect in early 2023 to help clients and others understand how to align with the most current GRI guidance.
Celebrating 10 Years of Positive Impact
I came up with the idea of starting SustainabilityNext in 2013, during a camper van surf trip around New Zealand. I found myself inspired by the companies I encountered there that led with purpose. And after many years of working with governments, businesses and nonprofits on environmental and social issues, I knew it was time to do more.
Ten years later, the SustainabilityNext team continues to grow and so do the services we provide. Our new website reflects this evolution, so I hope you all take a moment to check it out. I am proud of everything we’ve helped our clients accomplish and I look forward to the next 10 years of creating positive change for companies, communities and the environment.
Preparing a GRI or SASB Index: Observations and Recommendations
There is both an art and a science to annual sustainability reporting. We have noticed that some companies think of a GRI or SASB index as an isolated, stand-alone activity and feel they must “tick the box” because investors or some other stakeholder group has asked for an index.
However, we encourage companies to think more holistically about the opportunity that preparing an index, or better yet, a fully aligned GRI or SASB-based report, provides. Sustainability reporting is not meant to feel like a burdensome add-on activity but rather is meant to help better manage a company’s performance.
ESG is Sparking a Political Backlash – Don’t Let It!
ESG in the corporate sector has a long and apolitical history. It was conceived as a way to highlight risks and opportunities from social, environmental and governance actions that might traditionally fly under the radar of business decision-making.
Its success as a strategic tool is clear from its rapid adoption in the roughly 20 years since its inception. The 2020 KPMG Survey of Sustainability Reporting revealed that among the top 100 companies in each of 49 countries they examined, sustainability reporting has increased from 18% in 2002 to 80% in 2020.