Our Guide

How to design a sustainability report

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?

Environmental

An organisation’s impact on the environment, including carbon emissions, waste, pollution, and broader environmental issues, such as biodiversity.

Social awareness

The impacts on employees and local societies, including wellbeing, equality and human rights.

Governance

Accountability for decisions that affect the long-term sustainability of the organisation, usually at the director level.

“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.

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]

“Without setting goals, the entire reporting process could amount to little more than a tick box exercise.”