2013: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released the 2013 edition of its report reviewing the state of global sustainability reporting, titled ‘Carrots and Sticks: Sustainability Reporting Policies Worldwide – Today’s Best Practice, Tomorrow’s Trends.’

The report is a global inventory of sustainability reporting policies. It covers: governmental or market regulatory requirements and voluntary initiatives for the public disclosure of sustainability information; corporate social responsibility (CSR) requiring or providing guidance for sustainability reporting or other forms of public disclosure; requirements or recommendations covering a single topic or sector, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, or mining; and standards on sustainability assurance.

The publication covers 45 countries and regions, an increase from the 19 countries covered when the first edition was published in 2006. It notes growing interest in regulation, and that voluntary reporting by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is increasing. Some stock exchanges have introduced sustainability reporting requirements, and the UN has requested governments to stimulate sustainability reporting through the modeling of best practice.

The report was released jointly with UNEP partners the Global Reporting Initiative, the Centre for Corporate Governance at the University of Stellenbosch Business School in South Africa, and the accounting firm KPMG. [Publication: Carrots and Sticks: Sustainability Reporting Policies Worldwide – Today’s Best Practice, Tomorrow’s Trends] [Global Reporting Initiative website]