sustainability-report-design-guide

Our Guide

How to design a sustainability report

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As sustainability becomes more important to investors and consumers, companies are increasingly looking to produce sustainability reports.

At JDJ, we have over a decade of experience creating reports that engender trust and reaffirm purpose. We have created this guide to show the steps needed to generate a sustainability report, along with tips to create a document that will engage and inspire your stakeholders.

What is ESG?​

“While currently, most sustainability reporting is voluntary, in the future, inevitably, it will become a legal requirement.”

What to include in a sustainability report?

Because they’re not currently required by law, there are no universal requirements for what information to include in a sustainability report. That being said, these documents often follow similar formats, with some elements often featured, including a CEO statement, an impact assessment and a record of performance over time.
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Is sustainability reporting mandatory in the UK?

Sustainability reporting is not currently mandatory for most companies in the UK. However, in October 2021, the government announced new Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) for businesses and asset managers, setting out a roadmap for all businesses to disclose their environmental impact in the future. Under the roadmap, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) and large companies (including private companies with over £500 million in turnover and 500 employees) will have to disclose climate-related financial information from April 2022. Additionally in 2021, the EU announced its own CSRD, a package of measures that introduced more detailed reporting requirements according to mandatory EU sustainability reporting standards.

Visualising data in sustainability reports

Infographics and interactive content bring you data to life, emphasising the key information you want readers to notice and remember.
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In 2019, around 84% of global primary energy came from coal, oil and gas
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89 of FTSE100 companies have at least one ethnic minority director on their Board
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72% of investors say they conduct a structured, methodical evaluation of nonfinancial disclosures
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Trust in how companies communicate their sustainability performance has increased to a record 51% this year [2020]
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“Without setting goals, the entire reporting process could amount to little more than a tick box exercise.”

Download our guide to sustainability report design

Our guide has been written to help companies who wish to publish their first sustainability report or those who want to improve their offering. It provides useful design tips that will help you present your data in a clear, concise, and engaging way.
There are different approaches to sustainability report design, but it’s important to follow the rules outlined in our guide, to ensure you create a document that both appeals to your different audiences and is easy to understand and compare year on year.
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Check out our other guides

If you found this guide to sustainability reporting useful, please do download our other ebooks and learn the secrets to successful annual report and thought leadership design.

Thought Leadership Guide

Annual Report Guide​

Get in touch

If you want to partner with an external agency, JDJ has over 10 years of experience designing reports for financial, educational, professional and technology companies in the UK and the US. Knowledgeable about the major sustainability reporting frameworks and with a proven track record of producing reports which inspire investors, consumers and internal stakeholders alike, we’d love to help on your sustainability reporting journey.
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