Click here to visit the Sustainable Development Reporting Guide website.

Sustainable Development Reporting (SDR) is a key tool for businesses committed to achieving a triple bottom line of environmental and social as well as economic performance. The NZBCSD seeks to provide business leadership in this area and all NZBCSD members have committed to producing a sustainable development report within three years of becoming a member.

With the increasing interest in SDR, NZBCSD companies are expected by their stakeholders to provide leadership. The NZBCSD is uniquely placed to provide guidance based on the work of the WBCSD, and insights from other NZBCSD members to assist members and other businesses to make progress in this area.

There is a wide range of good business reasons for companies to implement SDR. The list below is not exhaustive but does reflect many of the benefits that leading business people report as their rationale for embarking on and continuing the SDR process.

1. Increased financial return and reduced risk for shareholders
SDR can demonstrate to financial institutions and shareholders that the business is mindful of wider issues that could become risk factors if not understood and properly managed. Accordingly, the existence of a comprehensive, externally audited, sustainable development report can assist with reducing borrowing costs and lowering insurance premiums. The improved risk-to-return ratio creates increased value to shareholders and investors.

Maximising the financial return on sustainable development requires an integrated strategic approach. The SDR process enables businesses to implement such an approach and can result in the business bringing together disparate threads for the business to achieve increased performance.


2. Attracting and retaining employees
It is frequently stated that a company’s greatest asset is its staff. Research has shown that businesses with a reputation for committing to sustainable development are better placed to attract and retain high-quality staff.

A SDR can demonstrate to existing and prospective employees how the business is making a difference and how the commitment to sustainable development is reflected in the business.


3. Improving customer sales and loyalty
A SDR can potentially enhance the reputation of a business and strengthen its brands. Increasingly customers, particularly internationally, are demanding that the businesses they purchase from produce a SDR to demonstrate their environmental and social performance.

4. Growing supplier commitment
Businesses committed to sustainable development will look further than just their own business – they will often work with their suppliers and encourage them to develop a sustainable approach. This results in these businesses being more familiar with the performance of their suppliers. There have been many high-profile cases where activities of suppliers have damaged the reputation of business. For example, the use of child labour and sweatshops has caused major consumer boycotts and damage to businesses reputation, profitability and share market performance.

5. Strengthening community relations
A SDR can inform stakeholders about a company’s management values and approach to business. SDR enables the company to profile the positive contribution it is making to the community and communicate about how it is addressing areas of concern to stakeholders. SDR can also strengthen the relationship between a business and the government.

6. Contributing to environmental sustainability
Sustainable development reports provide information about businesses environmental performance and the expectations and perceptions of its shareholders. SDR can assist businesses in identifying opportunities for reducing waste, and thereby costs, and improve processes so that businesses are able to increase efficiency and reduce impacts on the environment. This striving for eco-efficiency can lead to an increase in innovative thinking and practice in businesses

Providing Knowledge Management and Resources
The NZBCSD liaises with the SDR Project Group of the WBCSD to keep informed of current developments and communicates these to New Zealand businesses.

Facilitate Member Learning
The NZBCSD members have many ‘learning by sharing’ opportunities. In addition to sustainable development reporting seminars, we run workshops and have produced the report Corporate Reporting on Sustainable Development.

The NZBCSD Sustainable Development Reporting Guide for New Zealand Business
We have produced this guide, in conjunction with the Ministry for the Environment, to respond to a need identified by our members for a comprehensive resource to help businesses work through the SDR process. This guide features eight case studies from New Zealand businesses.
To view a copy of the guide for business click here
To view the Sustainable Development Reporting Case Studies click here

SDR Project Champions
Andy Pearce (Landcare Research)
Nick Main (Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu)
Rodger Spiller (Money Matters Ltd)
Richard Lauder (City Care Ltd)

SDR Active Participants
Telecom
City Care
Hubbard Foods
Urgent Couriers
BP Oil
The Warehouse
Interface Agencies
Sanford
Transpower
URS - NZ Ltd
Watercare Services
Waimangu Volcanic Valley

The Warehouse has produced a complete TBL report for several years. The 2004 TBL report can be downloaded on their website

Urgent Couriers has released a Sustainable Development Report. Urgent Couriers is also an Active Participant in the NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project.

Landcare Research produced their first Annual Report using the SDR approach in 2001. This reports "on all dimensions of our performance", was externally verified, and contains a commentary from the staff union, the Public Service Association. PDF downloads are available on Landcare's website. Landcare Research produced a stand-alone sustainable development report in 2000 which was ranked 14th in the UNEP/SustainAbility Global Reporters 2000 survey, and won the 2001 Institute of Chartered Accountants Environmental Reporting Award. PDF downloads are also available on their website. Landcare is also a Project Champion for the NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project.

Interface has posted its first TBL report. Interface is an organisation of only eight employees. Their report is proof that there is a sound business case for small business in under taking this process. Interface is also an Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project.

Deloitte is a Project Champion for the NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project.

City Care is a Project Champion and Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project. Their TBL report is available at www.citycare.co.nz/citycareweb//RealmWebPage.jasc?session=10FA92F5690F3C28F9AC9634B334F6&Page=N26P2

Money Matters is a Project Champion for the NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project.

Telecom is an Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project.

Hubbard Foods is an Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project.

Urgent Couriers is an Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project.

BP is an Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project.
View BP TBL report

Sanford is an Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project.

Transpower is an Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project.

Watercare is an Active Participant for the NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project.

URS is a Project Champion of NZBCSD's Sustainable Development Reporting Project. For more information about URS and to view the company's sustainability reports visit the URS website

DB is an Active Participant of the 2003 Sustainable Development Reporting Learning Group. For further information on this project see SDR website

Fonterra is an Active Participant of the 2003 Sustainable Development Reporting Learning Group. For further information on this project see SDR website

Toyota is an Active Participant of the 2003 Sustainable Development Reporting Learning Group. For further information on this project see SDR website

Transfield is an Active Participant of the 2003 Sustainable Development Reporting Learning Group. For further information on this project see SDR website

Transpower is an Active Participant of the 2003 Sustainable Development Reporting Learning Group. For further information on this project see SDR website

MWH has produced a Sustainable Development Report. This can be downloaded from MWH website

IAG NZ is an active participant in the SDR Learning Group.