The importance of resisting the lure of a standardised approach to ESG-reporting

Why this should not be a box-ticking exercise

There are countless examples of companies publicising their sustainability activities and successes and climate targets for the future. As governments set their own environmental goals, companies follow suit with ambitious and headline-grabbing targets for achieving, among other things, net-zero emissions.

But what are companies actually required to do in terms of reporting climate targets? And why should they take such reporting seriously, as opposed to a box-ticking exercise that can be covered using generic 'boilerplate' statements that say little about their specific activities and ambitions? At present, many organisations are subject to various requirements to make climate-related disclosures. Most companies are required to publish a Strategic Report, including details of how the directors have given consideration to the impact of the company's operations on the community and the envi...