hi Mr. Nour

Actually, it is the first time I have heard such a topic, if any.

But sustainability reporting is reporting regarding the aspects of the business other than financial aspects that are covered in financial statements using financial accounting. There are some frameworks for sustainability reporting like GRI.

But we have in the jargon "sustainability accounting" which is the process/calculations of the figures that pop up in the sustainability reports. you can check these links out for more details:

http://www.sasb.org/

http://www.aicpa.org/InterestAreas/BusinessIndustryAndGovernment/Resources/Sustainability/Pages/Sustainability%20Accounting.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability_accounting

Best

Amir

I agree with Amir: sustainability financial reporting is, for me, an unsual expression. Sustainability reporting regards how the company distributes the value created among the stakeholders in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Financial reporting regards accounting of the value realized. The expression you use can be referred to the financial part of sustainability reporting, i.e. where you reclassify the P&L statement...

I want to think that the 'questioner' meant sustainability reporting (or reports?) consistent with what Marco and Amir or better still, Integrated reporting. Sustainability reporting is deeply entrenched in the ISO 26000 especially clause 7 and the GRI. Consider the following:

1) ISO 26000 and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

‒ Established in 1997 to elevate sustainability reporting to the level of financial reporting in terms of credibility, rigour and verifiability

‒ Provides guidance on the format and content of SR reports with a detailed set of reporting criteria on governance and performance issues

‒ Recently published its “fourth generation” (G4) performance indicators

‒ Bridging documents are available showing link between GRI & ISO 26000

‒ More info at: www.globalreporting.org

2) The Global Reporting Initiative – G4 Guidelines

 The aim of G4 is to help reporters prepare sustainability reports that provide valuable information about the organization’s most critical sustainability issues, and to make such sustainability reporting standard practice

 The G4 guidelines provide reporting principles, standard disclosures (general disclosures and specific disclosures) and an implementation manual on preparing sustainability reports for all organizations, regardless of their size, sector or location

 G4 has an increased emphasis on ensuring that reports focus on those topics (aspects) that are material to the organisation’s business and its key stakeholders, with the aim of making reports more relevant, credible and user-friendly

 Material aspects are those aspects that reflect the organization’s significant economic, environmental and social impacts, or that substantively influence the assessments and decisions of stakeholders.

Sustainability reporting can also be termed as integrated reporting leading to the current integrated thinking where stakeholders expect that:

• The company has not profited at the expense of the environment, human rights, a lack of integrity or society;

• There are adequate controls in place to monitor and manage material risks and opportunities;

• Remuneration is linked to overall performance which includes social, environmental and financial aspects;

• There is an interactive communication with the stakeholders who are strategic to the company’s business; and

• The company is conducting a sustainable business

Dear Abdulnaser,

Eventually the paper of

P. Spicher, J. Cramer von Clausbruch, and P. von Waldenfels, "Sustainability in Finance - Banking on the Planet", In: R. Höfer, ed., Sustainable Solutions for Modern Economies, RSC Publ., Cambridge (2009) pp.12-24 gives you at least a fragmentary answer.

Best regards

Rainer

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Dr. Rainer Höfer

Editorial Ecosiris

Klever Str. 31

D- 40477 Düsseldorf

Tel.: +49 (0) 211 4920479

Fax: +49 (0) 211 4920477

Mobile: +49 (0) 172 2418861

E-Mail: [email protected]

www.ecosiris.eu

I have not come across the term sustainability financial reporting accounting. As far as I am concerned, the few terms that usually appear in the literature are socially responsible reporting, sustainable development reporting or environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting.

Based on CERES principles, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) was developed to provide a universal framework by which corporations could demonstrate their commitment towards economic, environmental and social issues. Of course, this has gone through several revisions (we're up to G4 now) where more 'material' criteria have been included.

Lately, the International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC) is developing a more holistic framework called 'Integrated Reporting' to combine both financial and non-financial issues together into one single report.

I have not come across this term but sustainable development reporting needs to entail the three dimensions of financial, social and environment reporting.

I would like to suggest a book titled "Sustainability accounting and accountability" written by Unerman, Bebbington, O'Dwyer (2007). This is a good reference for this topic and and provide good discussion on this topic.