5 Tips to Create Good Sustainability Reporting

22 Apr, 2023

5 Tips to Create Good Sustainability Reporting

So, your organization has gone ahead and created sustainability goals for the future. Maybe you’ve started moving towards them. Congratulations, that’s great! Now, you need to communicate your goals, progress, and impact to your audience and stakeholders. Creating concise, transparent, and effective sustainability reporting can be overwhelming, but it’s not impossible. 

What is Sustainability Reporting? 

Sustainability reporting is the communication of your organization’s goals and your progress toward them. These can be environmental, social, or governance. Today, we’ll focus on discussing environmental sustainability metrics. 

Whether you’ve implemented a take-back or recycling program or plan to cut down on emissions, a thorough sustainability report helps you stay on track and communicate your progress. 

Your Guide to Effective Sustainability Reports 

Following these recommendations from our Close the Loop team will lead to clearer, more impactful reports when talking to stakeholders.

Think Beyond Immediacy

Discuss your specific short, medium, and long-term actionable goals. How do these goals tie into your corporate structure? Is your leadership team incentivized to work towards these metrics and if so, how? What innovative concepts have you or are you developing? Are you partnering with a knowledgeable company to help set up and execute solutions? 

Talk about strategic risks and opportunities and how you plan to approach them. Incorporate specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Explain what they are (be specific) and why you chose them to demonstrate progress toward your target. 

The Power of Communicative Visuals

When you want to highlight sustainability metrics in an easily digestible way, you want to incorporate visuals. Graphs, charts, and icons — they help your audience understand your starting point and your progress. You can use your branded colors to show a clear connection between your work and your organization. 

Tailor your reporting to the communication medium you’re using (website, presentation, downloadable PDF, etc.) and the audience you’re speaking to (stakeholders, the general public, future consumers, etc.). 

Show (& Tell) Your Progress

Start reporting with a clear baseline. Give a brief history of the company. Then showcase your progress (this is where visuals can be beneficial!). Even if you haven’t reached your goal, be honest about your data. 

Keep your sustainability metrics reporting consistent year over year. Not only will this help with internal tracking, but your supporters will appreciate being able to see – and understand – how far you’ve come. 

Be as Transparent as Possible

At a time when more and more people are demanding accountability, the last thing you want to do is miss the mark. Own up to any shortfalls and explain your plan to fix them. Bring in a neutral third party to verify and vouch for your data. Honesty and accountability can build strong bonds of brand trust. 

Close the Loop With a Group That’s Seen It All 

As the world becomes more attuned to environmental effects, it’s time to create systems and processes tailored to your organization’s needs and goals. If you need help getting started, Close the Loop is ready to step in. Our team of experts has been at this for a long time, helping companies reduce their environmental impact while saving costs, reducing waste, and boosting brand loyalty. 

Look at our current customers and our awards to decide if you want to join the ranks. 

Ready to join the list? Send us a message, and let’s connect!