SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING

SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING 

Why it matters? 

As investors and other stakeholders are calling on companies to disclose more about their sustainability and environmental, social and governance strategies, sustainability reporting isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s becoming a necessity. 

A worldwide push towards more sustainable business practices has come alongside an ever-growing list of legislative documents requiring companies to disclose non-financial information. 

So, if regular sustainability reporting isn’t part of your sustainability strategy and programme already, it should be.  

How can we make the reporting simpler for you? 

Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned pro, ESG reporting can be a complex and time-consuming exercise, and generally a bit of a minefield. Be it TCFD, GRI, ISSB or a wider Impact Report, we offer pragmatic and simple sustainability reporting solutions – helping you find the value in your sustainability report with less of the pain. 

We can take you through the full journey from deciding the most appropriate or required standards, guidelines and frameworks for your organisation, to helping you dig out the right data, establish a robust internal controls system and put in place a sustainable reporting regime. 

What is a carbon footprint? 

Calculating the carbon footprint of your business is the first step on your journey to net zero. A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by your business, and is categorised into three scopes: 

Carbon measurement & reduction plan standards 

Whether you have mandatory emissions reporting like SECR or ESOS and need some assistance, or just want to get ahead of the market, the Sustainability team at Cooper Parry is here to help you.  

We measure your carbon footprint following the most widely used and globally recognised standards: The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Reporting and Accounting Standard and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ annual UK Government Conversion Factors for Greenhouse Gas Reporting. 

A figure of total tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (tCO2e) will be calculated with a breakdown of sources and scopes. And we provide data visualisations demonstrating the key areas of emissions from your business and where to focus reduction targets.

Food for thought – changes to SECR reporting requirements

Streamlines Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) is a mandatory scheme that applies to large UK companies. Businesses within scope must report to Companies House on energy use and associated carbon emissions. A business in scope must meet two of the following criteria:  

• Employees > 250 
• Turnover > £36m 
• Balance sheet > £18m 

At the introduction of SECR, the government had not yet signed the legal commitment to be net zero by 2050, so we’re expecting an increase in stringency.  

To give you a taste, potential changes could include but aren’t limited to:  

• There are fifteen Scope 3 categories in total. At the moment, only ‘business travel’ is mandatory, but more may follow soon.  
• If your reporting is done in-house, you’ll need mandatory verification from an external source.  

There’ll be more emphasis on meeting targets. So, you should gain more visibility over your carbon footprint, allowing reduction targets to be set – and smashed. 

Food for thought – the road to sustainability reporting success