48 GOVERNANCE | LEGAL SECTOR SUSTAINABILITY INSIGHT 2018 SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING Reliable public sustainability reporting is of interest to a growing range of stakeholders, including customers, regulators and shareholders. These stakeholders care about the values, priorities, performance and longer-term value of an organisation. Expectations about the scope, detail, rigor and completeness also continues to build among this group as more organisations provide reports and demonstrate their commitments. Reporting is a universally accepted component of sound organisational planning and strategy. It requires engagement with stakeholders to assess the most important opportunities and threats and leads to a more meaningful understanding and articulation of an organisation’s goals and strategies. Reporting is also an important tool for evaluating reward for effort by measuring and communicating issues, commitments, targets and performance. Publishing an organisation’s commitments and performance provides an additional element of transparency and honesty. Public sustainability reporting supercharges the meaningfulness of organisation’s commitments and acceptance their responsibility to address them. Providing honest information to stakeholders builds trust and reputation by demonstrating openness and accountability. Companies releasing public sustainability reports are considered sustainability leaders and innovators who can expect to build deeper relationships and more effective interactions with leading customers and employees who also share these values and priorities. AusLSA REPORT PROMOTED ADDITIONAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING 37% 43% 10% 10% Yes No Currently in Development Not Reported 30% 50% 7% 13% Yes No Currently in Development Not Reported PROMOTED REPORT CSR / ENV