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BT WINS AT ACCA SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING AWARDS SECOND YEAR RUNNING |
| Source: | ACCA | | Country: | UK | | Date: | 11/12/2008 | | Contributor: | Andy Lymer | | Web: | http://www.accaglobal.com |
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BT has won the top accolade at the ACCA’s (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) annual UK awards for Sustainability Reporting for the second year running.
Five other organisations were also recognised for their reporting of the environmental, social and wider economic impacts of their activities at the 2008 ceremony, held at the British Library in London. The aim of the Awards is to identify and reward innovative attempts to communicate corporate sustainability performance and to reward transparency.
Unilever and The Co-operative Group were runners up in the main award category. Traidcraft (the UK’s leading fair trade organisation) and REAP (a local sustainable development charity from north-east Scotland) received a joint commendation in the SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) reporting category. Royal Dutch Shell plc received praise for their use of electronic media in their reporting of environmental, social and sustainability impacts and activities.
BT's chief sustainability officer, Chris Tuppen, said: “We are delighted to receive the ACCA sustainability reporting award for our 2008 report. We want to continue to improve the coverage of the key material issues in our reporting. This is why we have placed greater emphasis on the opportunities that sustainability brings. We think the biggest potential in the future for us to make a positive difference lies through our products and services.”
Despite the current economic crisis, ACCA continues to advocate on behalf of businesses to remain responsible and produce reports which reflect a commitment to sustainability. ACCA, who promote transparency and best practice, aim to help businesses and organisations realise the growing importance of sustainability to them.
Rachel Jackson, Head of Social and Environmental Issues at ACCA said:
“It is becoming increasingly apparent that sustainability must be integral to business strategy and we are glad to see organisations are recognising this. The diverse range of companies honoured at the awards, demonstrates how important it is for organisations to make this commitment to transparent and ethical reporting, regardless of the size or type or industry they operate in. However, despite the well deserved recognition offered to Traidcraft and REAP in the SME category, entries from SME’s were particularly low this year, and ACCA hopes that involvement will increase in the future.”
Rachel continued: “It is especially encouraging to see so many companies continuing to invest in sustainability despite the current economic climate, placing an even greater emphasis on its place within today’s business environment. However, ACCA would still like to see more companies prioritising the issue of sustainability, ensuring it becomes a core staple of business strategy. It is also still difficult to ascertain where organisations sit within the context of sustainable development and clearer clarification from organisations will be required in the future”.
ACCA champions the extension of corporate reporting to include the social and environmental aspects of a business. It has introduced Sustainability Reporting awards throughout the world, recognising those who put particular emphasis on their own contribution to society and wider economic issues.
The full list of awards and commendations for 2008:
Winner, Best Report – BT
Runners up – Unilever and The Co-operative Group
Joint commendation for SME Reporting – Traidcraft and REAP (a community project based in North East Scotland)
Electronic Media Commendation – Royal Dutch Shell PLC
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