Sustainability Reporting Platforms & Recognition Opportunities

Originally posted 11/21/2017

For retail’s community of sustainability executives, communication is key. Corporate sustainability programs grow out of customer, shareholder, and employee values, so naturally these groups expect to see regular updates on what the company is up to. With so many companies talking about their programs, a variety of organizations are attempting to streamline external reporting and recognition, to more easily track progress and showcase leadership. For a retail sustainability executive, understanding what’s available can be overwhelming.

Thankfully, two new resources from the Center for Retail Compliance (CRC) are designed to help. With the Sustainability Reporting Platforms matrix and the Sustainability Recognition Opportunities matrix, the CRC brings together the reporting and recognition opportunities most often used and referenced in the industry into two, easy to navigate tools. The matrices break down each opportunity by retail eligibility, cost to use, prevalence, and submission questions. By exploring these two resources, retailers can easily identify opportunities to report progress externally or gain recognition for their sustainability achievements from authenticating organizations.

Looking to report material sustainability information to investors in SEC filings? The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) may be the right platform for you. Looking for recognition for your company’s use of renewable energy? The EPA Green Power Partnership Awards can showcase your progress.

Whether your goal is to establish your company as a leader among your peers and industry stakeholders or connect with more customers, these new tools help take the guessing game out of which opportunity is right for your company. Use them in combination with the sustainability leadership model, resource library and internal stakeholder engagement guides for a holistic look at your program.

Erin Hiatt, Director of Energy, Sustainability & Research, RILA

For more information on RILA’s retail sustainability program, please contact Erin Hiatt.