Blog

HSBC survey: global businesses targeting more sustainable supply chains

A third of global businesses are looking to improve the sustainability of their supply chains over the next three years, according to a new survey from HSBC.

The survey of 8,500 companies in 34 countries, published in HSBC’s Global Report, shows that those businesses making environmentally sustainable changes to their supply chains are motivated primarily by cost efficiencies and improved revenues. Furthermore, one in five claim that they have taken greater control of their supply chains over the past two years.

Webinar: How to integrate sustainability into procurement

To complete the blog series on sustainable procurement, Greenstone has partnered with procurement consultancy, Grippr, to hold a webinar on Thursday 29 November.

This 30-minute webinar will cover the opportunities for improving efficiency in procurement and provide practical tips on how to introduce sustainability into procurement processes.

Sustainability in procurement – 5 practical steps to more sustainable procurement

In Part 1 of this ‘Sustainability in procurement’ series, we discussed how sustainability is relevant to all aspects of an organisations’ operation, and the resulting need for an integrated approach to embedding this in the supply chain. However, changing the culture of a company is a huge undertaking, and embedding sustainability into everything you do can take time. This article, provides you with 5 practical steps which can help you start the process.

We will discuss this topic further in a webinar hosted jointly with our partners Grippr - a purchasing consultancy specialising in driving purchasing efficiency. More information is available on the webinar at the end of the article.

Greenstone partners with UNGC and Ardea International to host webinar on optimising supply chain data

Greenstone has partnered with UN Global Compact Network UK and specialist consulting firm Ardea International to host a webinar on how to optimise supply chain data on Thursday 6th December at 4pm (GMT).

Companies are now operating in a world where business responsibility extends beyond the environmental or the corporate social responsibility (CSR) challenges of its own operations, and into far-reaching global supply chains. An estimated 80% of global trade passes through supply chains, with the associated risk traced back to companies who have no visibility of this area.

Sustainability in procurement – an integrated approach

Procurement is changing, which means the way organisations engage with their suppliers, manage their supplier relationships, and make their purchasing decisions is changing. There are multiple factors that contribute to this, such as more global supply chains, perceived efficiencies through digitisation, and the changing way in which services are delivered.

However, the focus on managing supply chains more responsibly, or sustainably, is something that is relevant to all current and future procurement and supplier management activities. Sustainability is key part of the evolution of procurement, and therefore needs to be fully understood and implemented.

Webinar: ESOS Phase 2 – how to prepare and optimise your reporting

This webinar has now passed. Please visit the Past Webinars page to access the recording. 

On Tuesday 6th November, Greenstone and Carbon Smart will be holding a joint webinar on ESOS Phase 2. 

Phase 2 of the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) makes it mandatory for large UK organisations to measure energy consumption and carry out energy audits. If you operate in other EU Member States, you may also need to comply with local ESOS-equivalents in those territories.

The IPCC SR15 and how companies can respond

This month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released the much anticipated special report, SR15. Drafted in response to an invitation from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) following the Paris Agreement in 2015, the report outlines the real-world impacts of average global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

The message was stark and clear – rapidly decarbonise the global economy within the next decade or face far reaching consequences to human welfare.

Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting (SECR): what you need to know

The UK Government’s Streamlined Energy & Carbon Reporting (SECR) framework comes into effect from April 2019, and although the final details are yet to be published, the results from the consultation provide some indication of what the scheme will involve. It is estimated that up to 12,000 large UK companies will be required to report under the new framework, aimed at streamlining and reducing the complexity of current energy and carbon reporting requirements.

Greenstone launches SupplierPortal 100 programme to help organisations engage with their suppliers

Greenstone has launched a programme to provide a fully managed assessment of up to 100 suppliers in eight weeks. SupplierPortal 100, designed to provide clients with a simple way to develop confidence in their suppliers, enables organisations to demonstrate a robust approach to supplier risk screening and due diligence.  

There is an ever-increasing focus on supply chains, with organisations themselves needing to take increased responsibility for whom they work with, and for understanding how their suppliers operate. However, a large number of organisations still don’t know the potential risks in their supply chains and lack the internal process and resource to start a supplier assessment programme.  

Webinar: 4 key trends shaping the future of sustainability reporting

This webinar has now passed, please visit the Past Webinars page to access the recording. 

On Wednesday 24 October, Greenstone will be holding the webinar '4 key trends shaping the future of sustainability reporting'. 

The future of sustainability reporting, and what it means for corporate organisations, is a topic featuring high on the agenda for industry leaders. In this webinar Greenstone will cover four key trends that we see as shaping the future of sustainability reporting.

G4S recognised by leading socially responsible investment index FTSE4Good

G4S, the world’s leading global security company, has been independently assessed and included as a constituent of the FTSE4Good Index Series for the second year running.  This inclusion recognises G4S’ strong commitment to social responsibility and to sustainable business practices across the group. 
 
The FTSE4Good index series is a leading socially responsible investment (SRI) indicator developed by FTSE Russell, part of London Stock Exchange Group.  It is designed to measure the performance of companies demonstrating strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.

Greenstone sponsors Responsible Supply Chain and Sustainability Reporting events

Greenstone is pleased to be supporting Ethical Corporation's two co-located events in London, UK on 10th and 11th October. See below for details of the events and the speakers. 

GRI Standards updates – what you need to know

The GRI Standards have recently been revised and updated; specifically, GRI 303: Water and Effluents and GRI 304: Occupational Health and Safety. Here is everything you need to know about these updates.

Businesses commit to science-based targets - The Mahindra Challenge

The Global Climate Action Summit, being held midway between Paris (2015) and 2020, is bringing together leaders, investors, businesses, sub-national government and people from around the world to take ambition to the next level. As part of this Summit, a challenge has been launched encouraging companies to step up and commit to set science-based targets.

Barclays and Greenstone win 2018 Sustainability Product of the Year award

Today, the Business Intelligence Group named Barclays and Greenstone a winner in the 2018 Sustainability Awards. The development of a new software solution to facilitate the monitoring and reporting of initiatives to reduce environmental impacts, has been recognized as the 2018 Sustainability Product of the Year. 

The Sustainability Awards honor those people, teams and organizations who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice or overall mission.

Webinar: 5 inside secrets to successful sustainability data management

This webinar has now passed, please visit the Past Webinars page to access the recording. 

On Wednesday 25 July, Greenstone will be holding the webinar '5 inside secrets to successful sustainability data management'. 

Join Greenstone for this 30 minute webinar to unlock the secrets for embedding a long-term sustainability data management process. With over 10 years’ experience in enabling organisations to gather, manage and leverage their sustainability data, we’ll share five of the most important tips to get your approach set up in a way that’s future-proof.

AB Ports transforms non-financial reporting with Greenstone

Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s leading ports group, owns and operates 21 ports in England, Scotland, and Wales, and handles approximately a quarter of the country's seaborne trade. ABP, together with its customers, supports 120,000 jobs and handles approximately 89 million tonnes of cargo and contributes £7.5 billion to the UK economy each year.

Measuring up: How the UK is performing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals

This article was recently published on the UKSSD website.

UKSSD report ‘Measuring up’ shows how the UK is performing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the first time. And while there’s an enormous amount to celebrate, the most vulnerable people and places in our society are increasingly being left behind.

Measuring up is the most comprehensive review of the current situation in the UK conducted to date. It tells us what is happening in the UK for people, the environment and the economy.

CDP reporting 2018 – 6 weeks to go

With only 6 weeks to go until the first deadline for CDP reporting 2018, now is the time to start preparing your response. The new deadlines have now been confirmed by CDP as the following:

• Climate Change, Forests & Water – August 15, 2018
• Supply Chain – August 29, 2018

As an accredited CDP partner, Greenstone is providing consultancy support to a number of different organisations to guide them through the CDP reporting 2018 process. Please get in touch, if you would like to find out how Greenstone could help your organisation.

Greenstone releases report on social and environmental impact reporting

Earlier this year, Greenstone conducted an extensive piece of research on social and environmental impact reporting. Following on from the blog series, which provided an overview of the key findings of this research, we are pleased to release the full report titled ‘Beyond sustainability reporting - impact measurement, valuation and reporting’.

Greenstone sponsors leading sustainable supply chain and procurement event

Greenstone is sponsoring X Supply Chains in London this Thursday (7th June).

This event, organised by The Crowd, will bring together 120+ supply chain, sustainability, sourcing, procurement and ethical trade professionals to explore how to apply disruptive thinking and solutions to next-generation sustainable supply chains.

Greenstone’s software named Top Product of the Year by Environmental Leader

Greenstone is proud to announce that its software has been named ‘Top Product of the Year 2018’ at the Environmental Leader Product & Project Awards.

Highlighting its position as a global leader in EHS & Sustainability reporting software, the judges of the 2018 Environmental Leader Product & Project Awards noted that Greenstone’s software was “a very robust software solution that is important to the future of integrating environmental performance into corporate strategy”.

Impact reporting: The business response to impact measurement & key conclusions

In the previous two parts of this blog series on social and environmental impact reporting we have provided an overview of the key findings of our research about existing trends and challenges in the impact measurement and reporting space. We have also aimed to provide clarification around terminology and valuation methodologies that currently exist in the field.  

To view the first two parts, please click on the links below. In this part, we explore the business response to social and environmental impact measurement and reporting.

Greenstone adds CSR reporting frameworks mapping functionality to its non-financial reporting software

Greenstone has launched a new CSR framework mapping functionality enabling organisations to consolidate reporting frameworks to minimise risk and increase efficiency when reporting against multiple frameworks.

The sustainability and CSR reporting landscape is constantly evolving. Organisations reporting their sustainability and CSR performance can refer to or use a variety of international and national frameworks, such as GRI, TCFD, MSCI, CDP, SASB and DJSI. However, the increasing number of frameworks, and navigating different definitions, deadlines and data requirements, can lead to inefficiencies and inconsistencies for reporting organisations.

Greenstone to present at GRI reporting roundtable events in North America

Greenstone is pleased to announce that it will be sponsoring and presenting at a series of roundtable events delivered by GRI in North America. These events are part of a global series of local events, aimed at enhancing sustainability reporting and disclosure by gathering reporting professionals to explore reporting in practice.

The roundtables are designed to help organisations consider how the GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards contribute to internal value creation and external transparency and accountability. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss different areas of sustainability reporting with both GRI and peers.

Greenstone and SustainIt to hold webinar on CSR framework mapping

Greenstone has partnered with leading, global sustainability, EHS and risk data consultancy SustainIt to hold a webinar on “Framework mapping: the future of consolidated sustainability reporting” on Wednesday 2nd May at 3 pm BST.

Companies reporting their positions on sustainability can nowadays refer to or use a variety of international and national frameworks. However, the sustainability reporting landscape can be crowded and confusing for organisations that are constantly tasked with navigating different definitions, deadlines and data requirements.

Greenstone and Grippr partner to address supplier risk and compliance in The Netherlands

Greenstone is pleased to announce a new partnership with procurement consultancy Grippr. Based in The Netherlands, Grippr works with organisations to optimise their procurement processes through a blend of expert guidance and the appropriate use of technology and software.

Using Greenstone’s SupplierPortal, Grippr’s clients are now able to manage, report and analyse supplier information through one central online platform. SupplierPortal provides organisations with a single point of transparency across their supplier network, ensuring that compliance, contracts, and risk can be managed seamlessly.

Impact reporting: frameworks, methodologies and approaches for impact measurement and valuation

This is the second part of a 3-part series on an extensive piece of research on social and environmental impact reporting. To view the first part of this series on ‘The state of social and environmental impact measurement and reporting’ please click here.

In this part, we give an overview of the key organisations in the sector and the different frameworks, methodologies and approaches designed to measure and communicate social and environmental impacts.

Greenstone launches GDPR Assessment Service

Greenstone has launched a suite of services to help organisations assess their readiness for the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which comes into force in May 2018. Through Greenstone’s SupplierPortal solution, organisations can now assess both their suppliers’ GDPR compliance, as well as their own organisation’s readiness, for the regulation.

Social and environmental impact measurement and reporting – research insights

Greenstone recently conducted an extensive piece of research on social and environmental impact reporting. Due to an increasing maturity and awareness of sustainability issues and their potential risk to businesses and communities, there is an emerging trend in this area of company reporting.

With so much information available, it is not always clear for businesses that want to provide better sustainability disclosures where to begin, what to consider and what to be prepared for.

In this 3-part blog series, we will provide an overview of the key findings of this research to inform our clients, partners and a wider audience about existing trends and challenges in the impact measurement and reporting space. We also aim to clarify some misconceptions around terminology and valuation methodologies that currently exist in the field.  

Earth Hour 2018 - world action on climate change

Earth Hour 2018 is on Saturday 24 March at 8.30pm local time. This global movement, led by WWF, brings millions together across the world to call for greater action on climate change. Each year, hundreds of millions of people around the world switch off their lights and organise events – at home, in their community or in their towns or cities – to show they care about the future of our planet.

Webinar: Sustainability reporting is evolving - streamline your data for efficiency

Mentis Solutions and Greenstone are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. We invite you to join us to gain further insight into the sustainability reporting landscape and major trends that could impact the way you report going forward.

Greenstone adds Initiatives Savings Module to its non-financial reporting software

Greenstone has added an Initiatives Savings Module (ISM) to its non-financial reporting software. This new functionality enables Greenstone’s clients to track, monitor and report consumption, carbon and financial savings against environmental initiatives implemented across their organisation.

Greenstone has developed this functionality as a result of its clients’ increasing requirements to monitor and report environmental projects across energy, water, waste and paper. These initiatives vary from the installation of LED lighting or new servers that reduce energy consumption, to changes in industrial processes that result in significant water savings, to behavioural change initiatives that reduce paper use or increase recycling.

Fujitsu Group Environmental Report 2017 wins prestigious award

Fujitsu today announced that its Fujitsu Group Environmental Report 2017 received the Grand Award of Global Warming Countermeasures Report (Japanese Environment Minister's Award) as part of the 21st Environmental Communication Awards, sponsored by Japan's Ministry of the Environment and the Global Environmental Forum.

Webinar: CDP Reporting - how to prepare for 2018

Greenstone, in partnership with CDP, is holding a webinar titled 'CDP reporting - how to prepare for 2018'. 

As part of its ‘Reimagining Disclosure’ campaign, CDP has made notable changes to its questionnaires for 2018. Whether you are an experienced CDP reporter, or a first-time responder, you will need to start preparing for these changes and ensuring your data is in order. 

EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive - how to prepare

Back in December 2014, the European Commission introduced new legislation requiring certain companies to disclose relevant non-financial information, aptly titled the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive (EU NFRD). Giving member states until the end of 2016 to enshrine the new directive into national law, the time has now come for large companies residing within the EU to report against the new directive, disclosing information relating to their 2017 financial year.

Eurostar to set science-based target and halve use of plastic

This article was originally published on edie.net on 8th February 2018. 

High-speed rail service Eurostar has pledged to halve the amount of plastic it uses over the next two years, with the organisation's energy and environment lead Rebecca Cranshaw revealing that a science-based target to reduce emissions should be in place later this year.

Eurostar announced an update to its Tread Lightly strategy earlier this week, outlining plans to reduce waste, improve the energy efficiency of trains and invest in renewable electricity.

Greenstone sponsors NAEM EHS&S Software and Data Management Conference

Greenstone is pleased to be supporting NAEM’s EHS&S Software and Data Management Conference in Florida, USA on March 5-7, 2018.

Based in the US, NAEM provides valuable resources for corporate EHS & Sustainability leaders and IT professionals who are responsible for selecting, implementing and maintaining software systems, and who are looking to better manage and report their data.

TCFD's recommendations - what you need to know

There is a growing concern within the financial community that climate risks and their associated costs are being overlooked when it comes to the pricing of company assets. A survey carried out by HSBC in September of last year highlighted this growing unease, concluding that half of the institutional investors who intended to increase their climate friendly investments felt they lacked adequate information on climate risk.

Last year, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) established the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) to ensure that climate-risks are incorporated into financial disclosures. Chaired by Michael Bloomberg, the TCFD has released a voluntary framework of recommendations that incorporate sustainability considerations into financial disclosures.

Greenstone launches human rights due diligence partnership with Ardea International

Greenstone has partnered with specialist consulting firm Ardea International to further enable its clients to achieve compliant, transparent and responsible supply chains.

There is an ever-increasing focus on global supply chains, with organisations needing to take increased responsibility for whom they work with, and for understanding how their suppliers operate. Human rights is an issue that is very much driving this discussion, with rights and conditions of workers a topic Governments across the world are trying to address, increasingly through new legislation.

CDP reporting - preparing for 2018

For 2018, CDP has made some significant changes to its questionnaires and scoring. This is all part of ‘Reimagining Disclosure’ - an initiative CDP launched last year with the aim of developing and improving its disclosure system.

The changes affect how companies should disclose their GHG emissions and have been made in response to the market need for improved data collection and more sector specific data requests related to climate change. They also encompass the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations related to risk management and the inclusion of more forward looking metrics.

State of Green Business Report 2018

This week GreenBiz published its annual State of Green Business Report. This report assesses how, and how much, companies are integrating sustainability into business strategy and operations.

The coffee cup dilemma and the opportunity for sustainable business

The UK sends an estimated 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups to landfill every year¹. This doesn’t include those cups that escape collection and find their way into the surrounding environment along with our other waste products as litter. The detrimental effects, both ecologically and aesthetically of this offshoot of quick consumerism is beginning to grate on the last nerve of our policy makers.

Greenstone partners with UNGC and Ardea International to host webinar on human rights in the supply chain

Greenstone has partnered with specialist consulting firm Ardea International and UN Global Compact Network UK to host a webinar on human rights in the supply chain on Wednesday 31^st January at 3.30pm GMT.

There is an ever-increasing focus on global supply chains, with organisations themselves needing to take increased responsibility for whom they work with, and for understanding how their suppliers operate. Human rights is an issue that is very much driving this discussion, with rights and conditions of workers a topic Governments across the world are trying to address.

Greenstone conducts research on social and environmental impact reporting

Greenstone is conducting research on social and environmental impact reporting.

We would be grateful if you could take 5 - 10 minutes to complete this short survey which aims to investigate the current challenges of non-financial reporting with a focus on emerging reporting techniques linked to measurement and reporting of impacts.

GRI releases publication on the EU NFR Directive

GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) and CSR Europe have released a publication on Directive 2014/95/EU and the future of non-financial reporting in Europe. 

Directive 2014/95/EU, or the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) as it’s more commonly known, is now in force. With member states required to have legislation in place as of December 2016, it is expected the first company reports will be published in 2018 covering financial year 17-18. 

Partner focus: The Climate Group working with businesses to tackle climate change

One of the key conclusions drawn from the 2015 Paris Agreement was the need for businesses to shoulder the collective responsibility of tackling climate change. To keep warming below the 2°C threshold, said to alleviate the more catastrophic impacts of global warming, action needs to extend beyond the reaches of government.

With this in mind, over the past few years the Climate Group have introduced a series of ambitious initiatives, working internationally with forward thinking businesses looking to shape the global response to climate change.  

Webinar: A practical approach to tackling GDPR requirements for your suppliers

Greenstone, in partnership with DCK and Verego, is hosting a webinar titled 'A practical approach to tackling GDPR requirements for suppliers' on Thursday 7th December at 3.30pm GMT. 

The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into effect on 25th May 2018 and will replace all previous data protection legislation. Due to the expanded territorial reach of the regulation and the additional obligations it places on different actors within the data chain, organisations should already be preparing as the impact on will be immediate.

GDPR - an introduction and 9 things you should be doing to prepare

In the coming months, Greenstone will be providing content and services to help organisations comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that comes into force in May 2018. 

Through Greenstone’s SupplierPortal solution, organisations will soon be able to assess both their suppliers’ GDPR compliance, as well as their own organisation’s readiness, for the regulation. 

As part of this GDPR support, Greenstone held a webinar on 'A practical approach to tackling GDPR requirements for your suppliers'. To view the recording, please click here.

Webinar: GRI Standards - one year on

This webinar has now passed. Please visit the Past Webinars page to access the recording. 

Greenstone is holding a 30-minute webinar titled 'GRI Standards: one year on' on Wednesday 29th November at 3.30pm GMT. 

It’s been a year since Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) launched the GRI Standards and many organisations have now reported against this recent iteration of the framework. Whether this has been in the form of migration reports from the previous G4 guidelines or from first-time adopters of GRI, the detailed and prescriptive framework has continued to be one of the most widely used globally.

Greenstone to join expert panel at responsible sourcing event in Dublin

Greenstone has been invited to join an expert panel at a responsible sourcing event in Dublin, Ireland on Friday 10^th November. The event, on the topic of 'Responsible Sourcing: Managing Increasing Corporate Responsibility and Environmental Risk in Supply Chains' will include a conversation with Mike Simms, Chief Procurement Officer at Microsoft Corp.

Webinar: Science-based targets: What do they mean for businesses?

This webinar has now passed. Please visit the Past Webinars page to access the recording. 

Greenstone has partnered with leading global sustainability, EHS and risk data consultancy, SustainIt, to hold a webinar on science-based targets on Wednesday 8th November at 3pm (GMT). 

Greenstone and Mentis Solutions to host sustainability breakfast event in Toronto

Greenstone and Mentis Solutions are hosting a breakfast event titled ‘Simplifying Sustainability Reporting: streamlining data for efficient reporting’ on Tuesday November 21 in Toronto.

Greenstone sponsors two Ethical Corporation events in October

Greenstone is pleased to be supporting Ethical Corporation's two co-located events in London on 17th and 18th October. See below for details of the events and the speakers. 

The 11^th Annual Sustainability Reporting & Communications Summit, is the only summit bringing together CSOs, CFOs, and CEOs from the most innovative brands in Europe. They will share their insights so you can go back to the office with practical examples of how to portray your total impact throughout your report.

Webinar: Reporting Scope 2 market-based emissions

This webinar has now passed. Please visit the Past Webinars page to access the recording. 

Greenstone is holding a webinar on Wednesday 11th October at 3.30pm BST on reporting Scope 2 emissions using the market-based methodology.

Since the introduction of the GHG Protocol’s new guidance on Scope 2 emissions in 2015, companies have had the opportunity to report the emissions associated with their electricity consumption in a way that more accurately reflects their purchasing choices; the market-based approach.

Greenstone partners with The Climate Group to measure Climate Week NYC 2017 footprint

Greenstone has partnered with The Climate Group as the Event Footprint Partner for Climate Week NYC 2017. Taking place between September 18^th and 24th in New York City, Climate Week NYC is one of the key summits in the international calendar and has been driving climate action forward since it was first launched by The Climate Group in 2009.

Defra 2017 conversion factors: what’s changed?

It’s that time of year again when Defra releases new UK Government conversion factors for company GHG reporting. We’ve looked into what’s new and have listed below the most notable changes in this year’s release.

Updates generally consist of modifications to existing methodologies, although this year also includes the addition of entirely new factors to account for overnight hotel stays, and to meet the rising use of electric vehicles.

Sustainability reporting: the missing piece in the efficiency puzzle

The following article was recently published by Greenstone's client Sustainable Homes. 

In a world awash with data, choosing the appropriate indicators to measure and monitor makes all the difference in improving business performance. Traditionally, financial metrics have been the single most important tool in measuring an organisation’s and even a country’s success. This has started to change in the last few decades due to growing concerns around environmental and social impacts of businesses. An increasing number of investors now demand data on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance just as they would request key financial information. [1, 2]

Greenstone releases guide on reporting Scope 2 market-based emissions

Since the introduction of the GHG Protocol’s new guidance on Scope 2 emissions in 2015, companies have had the opportunity to report the emissions associated with their electricity consumption in a way that more accurately reflects their purchasing choices; the market-based approach.

This means electricity obtained from a low-carbon supplier can now be reflected in your Scope 2 reporting. However, there has been a lot of confusion on how to calculate and report market-based emissions, particularly when it comes to purchased renewable electricity.

Sector survey: Future innovations in non-financial reporting 2017

Greenstone is conducting a sector survey on future innovations in non-financial reporting. As companies begin to look at how AI and future technologies will impact their business, what are the opportunities for innovation to shape how they report their non-financial impacts?

Greenstone has been providing non-financial reporting software and services to organisations for over 10 years, and through our clients we have witnessed the ever changing reporting landscape first hand.

CDP and beyond - Close Brothers' environmental reporting journey

An interview with Close Brothers’ Head of Health & Safety & Environment, Sally Griffin

What has Close Brothers’ environmental reporting journey looked like to date?

Here at Close Brothers we care about the environment we operate in and are aware of our responsibility to protect natural resources and to behave sustainably. We believe, that as a financial services company, our environmental impact is limited and mostly driven by staff travel, our supply chain and our office network.

6 steps to take towards successful supplier management

For many organisations the supply chain is becoming an increasing area of focus, and this is not just because of the increasing risks posed by more global and complex supply chains, but also due to the opportunities presented.

In recent years there has been increased scrutiny placed upon those organisations whose supply chains contain sub-standard suppliers, producers or factories. Whereas previously issues with working conditions, for example, may have been directed at employers or owners, the new norm is that those at the top of the supply chain should be exerting a more positive influence.

New SupplierPortal release - contract management

Greenstone is updating its SupplierPortal software to make it even easier for clients to manage and monitor all of their suppliers. We have listened to client feedback and seen the increasing need for more standardised supplier management processes and software.

SupplierPortal is designed to help your organisation manage all of your suppliers in one place. For many of our clients, sending out supplier assessment questionnaires through SupplierPortal means engaging with only a proportion of their overall supplier network, and while this can be sufficient often the remaining suppliers still need to be understood and managed. The SupplierPortal solution, particularly with the addition of new contract management functionality, ensures greater transparency across your entire supplier network.

EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive - what it means for UK companies

The European Union (EU) Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) came into force in December 2014, with the deadline for member states to introduce the provisions passing late last year. Despite the vote for Brexit, the UK remains a full EU member until negotiations are concluded, meaning companies will have to comply with the new reporting requirements of the UK’s implementation. Here is everything you need to know and what you need to do.

Greenstone sponsors Ethical Corporation's Responsible Business Summit Europe

Greenstone is supporting Ethical Corporation to drive the movement for 500 responsible business, CSR, communication and sustainability executives to quantify social impact. We will be joining Ethical Corporation’s 16^th Responsible Business Summit Europe  taking place on 7-8 June 2017 at the Hilton Tower Bridge in London.  

ISO 14001 update - what you need to know about the key changes

Whilst designed to help companies reduce their environmental impact, ISO 14001 is also a key requirement for companies to win work through tendering. The management system standard was updated in 2015 and companies need to transition to keep their certification.  

We spoke with Darren Chadwick, Managing Partner of sustainability strategy consultancy Brite Green to find about the changes to the standard and what they mean for companies.

Webinar: Reporting against the GRI Standards

This webinar has passed, please click here to watch the recording. 

In late 2016, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) launched the latest version of its sustainability reporting framework. The ‘GRI Standards’ moves organisations away from the static nature of the previous GRI G4 framework and into what GRI are dubbing a “more flexible and future-proof” set of reporting guidelines.

Greenstone software completes GRI Standards certification

Greenstone’s non-financial reporting software is one of the first software tools to complete the certification for the implementation of the new GRI Standards content. 

The new Standards were announced by the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) in October 2016 and were officially launched in a series of global events. Developed by the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB), the GRI Standards aim to build on the previous GRI G4 framework to help companies around the world be more transparent in all areas of sustainability and to help organisations contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Business Initiatives Advance SDG Reporting, Engagement

The below article was recently published on the SDG Knowledge Hub. 

The UN Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) have launched the Action Platform for Reporting on the SDGs. The initiative aims to provide a framework for businesses to assess and report on their contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using both the GRI Standards, a sustainability reporting standard, and the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact.

Q&A from CDP reporting webinar

Last week's webinar on 'CDP reporting 2017 - what you need to know' generated some interesting questions and discussion.  Greenstone and CDP have compiled answers to the questions that were asked during the webinar below.

University of Manchester receives award for sustainability

The University of Manchester has received a prestigious award for two of its sustainability projects. At a national awards ceremony, the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) gave Manchester their Whole Institutional Sustainability Engagement award for two projects – 10,000 Actions and the Sustainability Challenge.

The Sustainability Challenge was rolled out across the University of Manchester’s campus last September with around 5,000 new students assembling into probably the largest project team in history. Their mission was to work together to design a new campus for the fictional ‘University of Millchester’.

The green business guide to Brexit: 10 questions to ask

Webinar: CDP Reporting 2017 - what you need to know

As the CDP deadline approaches, join CDP and Greenstone for a free 30-minute webinar to find out how you can improve your CDP response for 2017.

As part of its CDP Partnership, Greenstone is holding a free CDP reporting webinar on Tuesday 25^th April at 4pm GMT. With a guest speaker from CDP, Sarah Robertson, this webinar will give you practical tips for this year’s reporting whilst preparing you for the data collection you should think about now for 2018.

Is this the start of an SDG reporting boom?

This article was originally published on GreenBiz.

Measuring the not-so-easy-to-measure long has been a trick of the sustainability trade.

From tallying carbon footprints to wrangling waste in global supply chains, rising demand for corporate transparency from investors, consumers and enterprise customers has translated to an ever-widening array of reporting and surveying related to corporate responsibility.

CDP reporting 2017: what is new?

As the number of companies disclosing to CDP increases to over 5,600, and interest from investors grows following global events such as the ratification of the Paris Agreement in 2016, the importance of scoring highly to stand out from the crowd is greater than ever.

CDP continues to evolve in its methodology and scoring, in an effort to promote further engagement and transparency across a range of environmental and social issues for companies, cities and regions, throughout their supply chains.

Fujitsu transforms its global environmental reporting with Greenstone

Fujitsu is a leading provider of IT-based business solutions for the global marketplace. With approximately 160,000 employees supporting customers in more than 100 countries, Fujitsu is one of the world’s largest IT service companies.

The challenge

In 2008, Fujitsu announced that it aimed to reduce CO₂e emissions by 30 million tonnes by 2020 through environmental innovation. In addition, Fujitsu had committed to becoming an industry leader in sustainability and, as part of this, were looking at how green IT can be used as a key enabler for their clients to become a truly low carbon business.

Navigating the yellow brick road: Future-proofing your sustainability data

Greenstone’s Head of Client Services, David Wynn spoke at edie’s Smarter Sustainability Reporting conference in London last week. David spoke to the audience on ‘Future-proofing your data for 2020 and beyond’ emphasising the importance of creating a data strategy that enables long term sustainability reporting goals. 

David used the analogy of the Wizard of Oz to describe an organisation’s non-financial reporting journey. Where we’re initially engaging different people for advice (conducting a stakeholder materiality assessment) and know we need to get to the Wizard (setting long term KPIs and targets) but are not necessarily defining the yellow brick road in order to get there (the data strategy that underpins our reporting journey).

Clif Bar receives 2017 Climate Leadership Award

Clif Bar & Company has received a prestigious award in Supply Chain Leadership from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The award recognizes organizations that demonstrate leadership in managing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in internal operations and throughout the supply chain, as well as integrating climate resilience into their operating strategies. 

Eurostar improves supply chain transparency with SupplierPortal - case study

Eurostar is the only high-speed railway service connecting London with Avignon, Brussels, Lille, Lyon, Marseille and Paris. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France. Since it started in 1994, Eurostar has carried over 150 million passengers across the Channel.

The challenge

As a business working across a range of destinations for over twenty years, Eurostar has always had a strong sense of responsibility to the environment and the communities in which it operates.

SupplierPortal expansion - contract management

Greenstone is updating its SupplierPortal software to make it even easier for clients to manage their suppliers. We have listened to client feedback and seen the increasing need for all-encompassing supplier management processes and software.

The result is the introduction of more ‘Buyer’ (client) functionality, which will ensure that all suppliers and contracts can be managed in one place, and a risk-based approach can be applied to the gathering and analysis of specific supplier information.

Greenstone tops customer service ratings on NAEM EHS & Sustainability Software Report

Greenstone has received a 100% Overall Customer Service Rating, and a 9.25 out of 10 average Net Promoter Score (a measure of the likelihood of Greenstone’s Clients recommending its software to a friend or colleague), in NAEM’s 2017 software report.

NAEM's EHS & Sustainability Software Ratings Report is a third-party evaluation of customer satisfaction of EHS & Sustainability (EHS&S) software. The report reveals how software users rate their satisfaction with the ease of use, speed of implementation, integration and customer service of leading EHS&S software systems.

UN Global Compact - Greenstone submits Communication on Progress

This week, Greenstone submitted its annual Communication on Progress (COP) to UN Global Compact. Greenstone has been a participating member of the UN Global Compact since 2013 and each year publically submits a COP which outlines its commitment to the UNGC’s ten principles.

As a non-financial reporting software company, we use our solution to actively promote the UN Global Compact Principles as a standard for our clients. We are also dedicated to improving the transparency of corporate reporting in the four key areas – human rights, labour, environment and anti-bribery and corruption.

The State of Green Business 2017 - GreenBiz

The below article recently featured on the GreenBiz website following the release of its 'State of Green Business 2017' report. Topics covered in this report feature heavily on the agenda for next week's GreenBiz 17 Conference in Phoenix. Our Head of Client Services, David Wynn, will be attending so please let us know if you would like to meet up with him during the conference. 

Legal Sustainability Alliance (LSA) carbon reporting portal opens

The Legal Sustainability Alliance (LSA) - the inclusive movement of legal firms committed to working collaboratively to improve the environmental sustainability of their operations and activities - has opened its reporting window to LSA members to report on their carbon emissions for 2016. Since 2011, Greenstone has delivered the LSA Reporting Tool, which enables around 100 UK law firms to report their sustainability credentials to the LSA.

Using this simple and intuitive tool, developed and powered by Greenstone, LSA members can input consumption data, calculate their carbon footprint and respond to the LSA Reporting principles. Reporting organisations receive an individual report on their carbon emissions and the LSA also produces an annual report where results are aggregated across the whole LSA membership.  

Greenstone releases non-financial reporting frameworks guide

Greenstone has released a free guide on ‘Choosing the right non-financial reporting frameworks’. 

This 15-page guide summarises 8 of the most popular non-financial reporting frameworks, including CDP, GRI and the SDGs, to help companies choose the most appropriate frameworks for their reporting.

Webinar: challenges and trends in Health & Safety reporting

Although workplace health and safety has long been a key consideration for both employers and employees, a recent and growing trend has seen this aspect of corporate activity placed, with greater importance, within the movement of sustainability. This has led to new challenges for health and safety managers who are increasingly needing to incorporate their own data collection and management with other non-financial reporting processes.

The university sustainability data challenge

For many universities, sustainability reporting is seen as a fundamental part of day-to-day operations. With students placing higher importance on sustainability credentials and public expectation increasing, further education institutions have not only accepted the importance of being ‘green’ but have largely embraced the journey. At Greenstone, we have seen first-hand the challenges that universities face and the unique position they are in when it comes to reporting. Below we outline 3 of the key challenges that a Sustainability Manager at a university is likely to be faced with.

Greenstone confirmed as speaker at Smarter Sustainability Reporting conference

Greenstone has been confirmed as a speaker at edie’s Smarter Sustainability Reporting conference in London on 1st March 2017.

As part of the morning plenary session on reporting excellence, our Head of Client Services, David Wynn, will be giving practical advice on how to future-proof your data for 2020 and beyond.  David has also been invited to sit on a panel, alongside The Crown Estate and Barclays, in the Advanced Reporting workshop. During this workshop, the panel will be exploring emerging reporting options for advanced reporters.

Everything you need to know about the new GRI Standards

Last month saw the launch of the latest version of the sustainability guidelines produced by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The new ‘GRI Standards’ take reporting organisations away from the static nature of the GRI G4 framework and into what GRI are dubbing a “more flexible and future-proof” set of reporting guidelines. Here is everything you need to know.

Managing sustainability risks in your supply chain - webinar

On Tuesday 29th November at 15:00 GMT, Greenstone's Head of SupplierPortal Gyles Scott-Hayward will be delivering a webinar on responsible sourcing and managing sustainability risks in supply chains.

Clif Bar measures and reports its environmental impact with Greenstone - case study

Clif Bar & Company is a privately held company producing organic food and drinks. Headquartered in California USA, the company was founded in 1992 by baker and former mountain guide Gary Erickson with the creation of the infamous CLIF Bar.

The challenge

Clif Bar works hard to reduce its ecological footprint in everything it does – from the field to the final products. This means that, in its day-to-day work, it is thinking about using more organics, less packaging, more planet-friendly transportation, less landfill and working in partnership with like-minded companies.

Greenstone confirmed as CDP Software Partner for Second Year Running

Greenstone has been confirmed as a CDP Software Partner for a second year in a row. This partnership provides Greenstone’s clients with a CDP accredited software platform to accurately collect, manage, analyse and report non-financial information.

Greenstone has partnered with CDP to further streamline the CDP reporting process for its software clients. Greenstone’s CSR Frameworks module includes the CDP reporting questionnaires, which simplifies the reporting process for organisations and enables them to collect the exact data required for reporting to CDP.

Webinar: Using data to understand your business’ contribution to the SDGs

Since the launch of the SDGs at the General Assembly in September 2015, there has been a great deal of emphasis on the role of business in achieving them. This has led to some uncertainty about the best approach to incorporate the SDGs into a company’s non-financial reporting strategy.

Greenstone is holding a 30-minute webinar at 3pm GMT on Tuesday 15th November, focusing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how businesses can start to collect, manage and report data to help them to understand their contribution to them.  

Webinar: The 5 Key Steps to Take Now to Address Supply Chain Risk

Earlier this year, Greenstone conducted extensive research to understand how companies are identifying and mitigating supply chain risk.

The survey asked 1000 senior decision makers about their perception of supply chain risk. It found that increasing global focus and the impact of regulation has resulted in a growing business requirement for supplier due diligence processes.

The results will now be shared during a complimentary online webinar. The webinar will be held on two dates at the start of November, and will explore how companies are reacting to the increased scrutiny placed on their third party relationships. It will also highlight the five key steps organisations can take now to successfully address supply chain risk and ensure supplier compliance.

The ABCs of the SDGs: 5 key trends from Climate Week 2016

The Climate Group’s Opening Ceremony on Monday 19th September set the stage for almost 100 climate change related events across New York. Coinciding with the UN General Assembly, the week brought together influential global figures from the worlds of business, government and society who are leading the transition to a low carbon economy.

Five key trends from Climate Week 2016:

EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive – How companies make the most out of it

This article was originally published on CDSB's website following the release of its EU environmental reporting handbook.

From 2016, certain companies in EU Member States are required to report non-financial information in their management report, but what could this look like?

Why Sustainable Supply Chains Matter

This article was recently published on Environmental Leader. 

Environmental managers and chief sustainability officers are increasingly looking to their supply chains to conserve natural resources and reduce carbon emissions.

Considering supply chains are responsible for up to four times the greenhouse gas emissions of a company’s direct operations and many suppliers operate in water-stressed areas of the globe, this makes sense from an environmental savings standpoint.

To this end, we’ve seen major corporations like Apple push for more rigorous environmental standards and renewable energy use across its supply chain — and publish regular supply chain audit reports detailing suppliers’ progress — and Nike creating an entirely new apparel supply chain company that will “embed sustainability and transparency into the business.”

Greenstone integrates the SDGs into its non-financial reporting software

The latest version of Greenstone’s Enterprise software now includes the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Using Greenstone’s CSR Frameworks module, clients can now collect, manage and report data to help them understand their contributions to all 17 of the SDGs. This new feature is mapped and aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)’s G4 framework to enable clients to streamline their non-financial reporting.

The Business & Climate Summit – event footprint

This year the Business & Climate Summit was hosted by The Climate Group in London on 28^th and 29^th June. Greenstone was selected as the event footprint partner for the 2-day event and the footprint report, detailing the carbon emissions associated with the conference, has recently been published.

The University Challenge: non-financial reporting

For many universities, sustainability reporting is seen as a fundamental part of day-to-day operations. With students placing higher importance on sustainability credentials and public expectation increasing, further education institutions have not only accepted the importance of being ‘green’ but have largely embraced the journey.

At Greenstone, we have seen first-hand the challenges that universities face and the unique position they are in when it comes to reporting. Below we outline 3 of the key challenges that a Sustainability Manager at a university is likely to be faced with.

Countdown to EU NFR Directive day

This article was originally published on Financier Worldwide. 

GRI publish Greenstone’s Event Footprint report

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) recently published the event footprint of its 5^th GRI Global Conference held in May. Earlier this year, Greenstone was selected as the Event Footprint Partner for the event and collected data before, during and after the event to calculate an accurate footprint.

Using its Enterprise software solution, Greenstone calculated the carbon footprint of the 3-day conference held at the RAI Exhibition and Congress Centre in Amsterdam.  To measure the environmental impacts of the conference, the carbon footprint includes carbon emissions associated with use of the venue, attendees traveling to and from the event and the logistics involved. This includes:

5 steps to managing your supplier compliance

With the results of the State of Supplier Management 2016 survey in mind, Greenstone has outlined five key steps to help you shape your supplier due diligence process and understand risk and compliance in the supply chain.

Infographic - State of Supplier Management 2016

We asked 1000 senior decision makers from mid-to-large organisations about the perception of supply chain risk and due diligence at their organisation, the drivers for collecting supplier information and key factors in shaping their supplier engagement programmes.

Below are some of the key findings in an infographic:

albert shares sustainability tool with NTR in The Netherlands

Bafta’s albert is sharing its carbon calculator with Dutch Public Service Broadcaster NTR as part of a wider initiative to make its sustainability tools widely available to broadcasters and producers around the world.

The albert carbon calculator, developed with software provider Greenstone, enables TV companies to measure the carbon impact of moving image production. 

State of Supplier Management 2016

In the current non-financial reporting landscape there is a heightened focus on understanding your supply chain. As a result, organisations are increasingly evaluating the performance of their suppliers against a wide spectrum of non-financial criteria and monitoring the associated risks.

In order to better understand what is driving this behaviour and how companies are identifying and mitigating supply chain risk, Greenstone conducted the State of Supplier Management 2016 survey.

The business end of climate change - CDP report

This article was originally posted on CDP's website. 

We established CDP – then the Carbon Disclosure Project – over 15 years ago with a vision that one day businesses would be playing an active leadership role in combating climate change.  Last December’s historic Paris Agreement set an unequivocal new direction for corporate climate action, and today our vision is becoming reality.    

Since Paris, a growing number of major companies around the world have been showing a real commitment to playing their part in decarbonizing the economy. A new report launched today by the We Mean Business Coalition, along with CDP, shows just how significant that business contribution could be.

Greenstone: 5 years of enabling non-financial reporting in the legal sector

Last week, the Legal Sustainability Alliance (LSA) – the inclusive movement of legal firms committed to working collaboratively to improve the environmental sustainability of their operations and activities – released its 2016 Annual Report. This report, showcasing best practice in sustainability from UK firms, demonstrates a growing commitment to non-financial reporting in the sector.

Non-financial reporting is becoming an increasingly important part of maintaining competitive advantage in the legal sector. The business case for reporting non-financial data – including sustainability, CSR, health and safety and supply chain - is becoming increasingly stronger. Not only it is being seen as a way to reduce costs, attract new talent and drive business, it is also continues to be seen as fundamental in reducing corporate risk.

Is sustainability reporting lost in the right direction?

Following the release of ACCA's and CDSB's new report, the below article was recently published on the CDSB website.

ACCA & CDSB ask whether the fragmentation of the reporting landscape is resulting in the discipline failing to fulfil its potential.

From the creation of the Michael Bloomberg chaired Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures to the agreement of the Sustainable Development Goals, corporate sustainability reporting is finding a new impetus and audiences seeking better information to inform decisions designed to support a more sustainable future.

Non-Financial Reporting Summit - 30th June

Greenstone is holding its Non-Financial Reporting Summit on Thursday 30th June in London. The Summit, held at the newly opened IOM3, will consist of an expert panel discussion with guest speakers exploring the state of non-financial reporting.

This session will then be followed by networking opportunities, with Greenstone clients, partners and business associates, over canapes and refreshments.

Greenstone adds H&S incident reporting to its non-financial reporting software

The newest release of Greenstone’s Enterprise software includes a Health and Safety Incident Reporting functionality. Aligned with RIDDOR (UK) and OSHA (US) reporting requirements, Greenstone’s clients can now record all health and safety related occupational incidents such as an accident, disease or dangerous occurrence.

A new addition to the current Health & Safety module, this enhanced functionality will enable organisations to adhere to current legislation and legal frameworks whilst providing greater flexibility of data management and reporting.

30 days to go! 5 tips to get your data CDP-ready

On 1^st June, 30 days ahead of the CDP Climate Change reporting deadline, Greenstone is holding a 30-minute webinar on how to get your data CDP-ready.

Are you struggling to define a boundary for reporting, set science-based targets or report your Scope 2 market-based emissions?

CDP updates its climate change reporting guidance

After COP21 and the historical Paris agreement, many companies have begun setting more ambitious climate change targets. To reflect this momentum, CDP has amended its guidance on what constitutes an active target which can be reported through the CDP questionnaire in 2016. It has published this updated version of guidance for companies reporting on climate change.

In summary, CDP will now be accepting new targets that were not active during the reporting year, so companies can also report any targets set after the reporting period with base year 2016. It is important to note that, if companies are setting targets with 2016 as a base year, this will only be accepted if their reporting year aligns with their financial reporting year (e.g. from April 2015 to March 2016).

EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive – the latest

Since its introduction in 2014, the EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive (aka Directive 2014/95/EU) has been a hot topic and the implications to affected organisations and corporate disclosure have been widely discussed.  In this blog, we summarise the current status of the Directive and what we think you need to know.

Background

In 2014, the EU introduced a new directive on the disclosure of non-financial and diversity information by large companies and organisations. Developed to provide investors and other stakeholders with a comprehensive picture of performance, the Directive requires organisations to publish accurate non-financial reports.

“When the world changed” – reflections from the Annual CDP UK Workshop

Marian Moynihan, Consultant at Greenstone, attended the Annual CDP UK Workshop held in London last week. In this blog, Marian reflects on some key take-aways from the event.

“When the world changed” was the opening speech at this year’s Annual CDP UK Workshop.  Lord Deban, the chairman of the Committee on Climate Change captivated the room as he spoke passionately about the “battle on climate change” and the steps we need to consider to mitigate the impacts. This opening paved the way for a day of thought provoking presentations and useful workshops focusing on various areas of the CDP questionnaires.

Developing supplier networks: How supply chains are going circular

Sophie Parsons, Senior Consultant at Greenstone, attended the resource efficiency event Resource held in London last week. In this blog, Sophie reflects on the role of supply chains in the circular economy.

Following the announcement of the EU Circular Economy Package at the end of last year, the transition to a stronger and more circular economy has become a hot topic. At Resource last week, organisations such as Rolls-Royce, Hewlett Packard and Jaguar Land Rover demonstrated how they aim to improve resource efficiency and gain greater circularity within their value chain.

Getting it right: CDP reporting - workshop on 5th April

As part of its CDP Partnership, Greenstone is holding a free CDP reporting workshop at techUK on Tuesday 5^thApril.

With a guest speaker from CDP, this workshop is suited to both organisations who are thinking about starting to report to CDP as well as those reporting that are interested in finding out how to improve their score.

State of supplier management survey

Greenstone has been providing non-financial reporting software and services to organisations for over 8 years, and through our clients we have witnessed the ever changing reporting landscape first hand.

The most active trend recently has been an increased focus on suppliers and supply chain risk. The key drivers for this have been increased direct legislation, evolving reporting frameworks and heightened sensitivity to third party risk from clients, investors and other stakeholders.

Material and robust – but is your sustainability data accessible?

At Greenstone, we are increasingly seeing organisations using sustainability reporting less as a necessary (and all too often stressful) annual process and more as a tool for analysing and monitoring ongoing performance. The merits of a sustainability report are well established and form an important part of an organisations’ communication with stakeholders about its past, present and future impacts on the environment and society. Underpinning this communication is data – data that needs to be robust, material and (most importantly) accessible.

Greenstone selected as Carbon Footprint Partner for 5th GRI Global Conference

Greenstone has partnered with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to measure the carbon footprint of the 5^th GRI Global Conference on 18^th-20^th May 2016.

Using its Enterprise software solution, Greenstone will calculate the carbon footprint of the 3-day conference being held at the RAI Exhibition and Congress Centre in Amsterdam.  To measure the environmental impacts of the conference, the carbon footprint will include carbon emissions associated with use of the venue, attendees traveling to and from the event and the logistics involved.

Greenstone launches Modern Slavery partnership with Fifty Eight

The recent introduction of the Modern Slavery Act in the UK has generated a significant amount of interest and concern alike. Organisations appear to be aware of the Act, and are not only keen to understand what they need to do to in order to comply, but also how and what they should report year on year.

There has been plenty of clarification on the aims of the Act itself, its coverage and its requirements. However, what has not been so clear is what organisations actually need to include in their reports, what policies and practices need to be introduced and how to train their workforce.

Science-based targets: what you need to know

Over 80% of the world’s top companies now set targets to reduce their carbon emissions. This is a positive step in the right direction, but in reality most targets fall short of keeping global temperatures below a 2°C rise in order to avoid unavoidable global climate change.

In short, the setting of science-based targets aims to ensure we take global context into consideration to be able to stick below the 2°C temperature rise and therefore prevent the worst effects of global warming.

20 years on: Is sustainability reporting actually making a difference?

The following article was published on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)'s website last week. 

It’s a question all sustainability practitioners face: is sustainability reporting making a difference? At GRI, we believe the answer is yes. But we also know there’s still much more that needs to be done to create a sustainable economy and world that lifts people out of poverty while preserving our precious resources. Still, it’s important to keep in mind how much progress we’ve collectively made in a short period of time.​

UN Global Compact – Greenstone’s Annual Communication on Progress

Greenstone has been a participating member of the UN Global Compact since 2013. Each year we publically submit our Communication on Progress (COP) which outlines our commitment to the UN Global Compact’s ten principles.

As a sustainable software company, we use our solution to actively promote the UNGC's principals as a standard for our clients. We are also dedicated to improving the transparency of corporate reporting in the four key areas – human rights, labour, environment and anti-bribery and corruption through supplier management.

'Bridging the materiality gap' – event summary

Legal Sustainability Alliance (LSA) carbon reporting - what's new for 2016?

The following article, written by Greenstone's Marian Moynihan, was recently published on the LSA website. 

It’s that time of the year again when the LSA (Legal Sustainability Alliance) opens it reporting window to LSA members to report on their carbon emissions for 2015.

With the help of the LSA reporting tool managed by Greenstone members can measure their carbon footprint and assess their progress against the LSA principles. Reporting organisations receive an individual report on their carbon emissions and the LSA also produces an annual report where results are aggregated across the whole LSA membership.  

New version of SupplierPortal provides further flexibility

The latest SupplierPortal release enhances the user experience and provides further flexibility in how SupplierPortal can be used across an organisation.

Why the new version?

The latest release of SupplierPortal, as with all of our software development, is based on listening carefully to our clients’ needs and drawing on our wider experience of the market.

This release has focussed on ensuring that SupplierPortal is even more flexible and relevant to global organisations.

The UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 - FAQs

Towards the end of 2015, Greenstone ran a series of webinars focussed on providing a practical insight into addressing the UK Modern Slavery Act. These webinars were extremely popular and generated a number of questions and discussion points around the Act.

We have turned these questions into a set of FAQs for reference. Hopefully, the questions raised will reflect the issues and concerns of others and therefore provide some wider benefit. However, if you do wish to speak to us about the Modern Slavery Act or indeed how we can facilitate the data gathering process through our SupplierPortal solution, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Greenstone partner Carbon Smart holds employee engagement workshop

Greenstone's partner Carbon Smart, a sustainability consultancy delivering innovative and practical solutions to a variety of organisations, is holding a workshop called 'Learn how to engage employees and change behaviour’ on 10th March in London. Please see below for further details from Carbon Smart:

Addressing modern slavery through SupplierPortal

In the autumn of 2015, the UK government introduced the Modern Slavery Act which seeks to address the role of businesses in preventing modern slavery from occurring in their supply chains and organisations.

The Act defines modern slavery as covering slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking. Organisations captured by the Act not only need to ensure that modern slavery is not an issue in-house, they also need to take, and report on, actions to prevent the issue from occurring within their supply chains. The actions, targets and progress on these issues should be reported annually by organisations through their Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement.

Deloitte, Lodestar and Greenstone partner to host free breakfast event on materiality

Greenstone has partnered with Deloitte and Lodestar to host a free breakfast event in London on Wednesday 27th January on 'Bridging the materiality gap - global practice and practical insights'. 

Defining what matters to your organisation and stakeholders is at the heart of materiality. In recent years there has been an increased focus on putting materiality at the forefront of sustainability reporting and as a result companies are increasingly experiencing pressure to define their non-financial information. 

Join Deloitte, Lodestar and Greenstone, plus speakers from GRI and URENCO Ltd, for breakfast, some thought-provoking discussion on materiality reporting and the opportunity to network with other sustainability professionals.