WBCSD Position on Sustainable Development Reporting Initiatives

1
WBCSD Position on Sustainable Development
Reporting Initiatives

• This document determines the policy of WBCSD for
  addressing guidance initiatives of other
  organizations in the area of corporate
  sustainable development reporting.

2
Fundamental issues

• WBCSD believes that there will be an increasing
  demand for corporate sustainable development
  reporting and dialogue with numerous stakeholders
• WBCSD recognizes that on a medium/long term a
  high demand for standardized or normalized
  sustainable development performance information
  from companies is most likely.
• WBCSD finds it of key importance that businesses
  influence the framework conditions for SDR as an
  emerging corporate undertaking.
• As a leading business voice on SD and business,
  WBCSD should establish and maintain influence,
  where appropriate.

3
Creating a WBCSD position on GRI

• We have a collection of members viewpoints and
  opinions on GRI Guidelines (technical content)
• We need to develop a position on GRI as a
  permanent institution

4
Principles and criteria for engagement
Principles
Engagement
Criteria
5
Principles

• Maintain WBCSD Reputation
• Applicability
• Balance

• The WBCSD will not engage in any initiative that
  puts the understanding of WBCSD function and
  reputation at an unacceptable risk.
• Guidelines should be reasonably suitable to allow
  individual companies to report their SD business
  case
• Preference to guidance that are created via a
  multi-stakeholder approach

6
Criteria
- Strategic fit

• 1. Mission
• 2. Outreach
• 3. Make a difference

• Is the initiative and its subject matter in
  accordance with the WBCSD mission
• Is the initiative international regional or
  global.
• Is the initiative likely to influence the SD
  Reporting agenda - because of its scale of
  significance and support, or its innovative
  level, approach or content

7
Criteria
- Due processes
Does the issuing organization follow due
processes to ensure that relevant and legitimate
parties and viewpoints are considered in such a
way that provides inclusiveness and transparency,
with regards to

• 4. Overseeing and governing bodies e.g.
• 5. Processes applied to select topics, and
  developing and issuing guidance

• Processes relate to aspects such as
• selection/appointment of members e.g.
• decision making
• There should be a clear recognition of which
  parties and/or stakeholder-groups that any person
  represent

8
Criteria
- recognition
This criteria is expected to be increasingly
applied as the SD Reporting agenda matures

• 6. Is the initiative generally recognized. This
  means that society in general subscribes to it
  (like generally accepted accounting standards).

• It is assumed that because of their emerging
  nature no initiative could today claim to be
  generally recognized
• (In the meantime the criteria Due Processes will
  substitute)

All criteria should be met to a reasonable extent
9
Role of engagement

• The extent and depth of WBCSD engagement is
  derived from the degree to which the engagement
  advances the achievement of the WBCSDs mission.
• WBCSD does not enter or agree to positions on any
  reporting guidelines, standards or criteria that
  in fact, nor in appearance, are binding to
  members of the WBCSD.
• WBCSD should regularly review its position
  towards certain guidance, standards or criteria
  in light of the degree of uptake, endorsement or
  subscription, or support for those criteria in
  question, by members of WBCSD.
• WBCSD supports that financing has to be balanced
  reflecting a multi-stakeholder approach.

10
WBCSD engagement
Matrix on engagement role and means
WBCSD may engage in various aspects within the
initiative or undertaking, such as governance,
strategy and policy, as well as technical content
and processes.
11
Process and timeline for issuing of WBCSD Policy
Paper

• March 29 High level presentation to LDs
• April 22 Final draft to LDs for comments
• May 22 Deadline for comments from LD
• May 29 Submission of final paper to Exco
• June 12 Exco to approve policy