Taking Shape - The Future of Corporate Responsibility Communications

As the concept of corporate responsibility changes, companies also need to change how they communicate.  2006 saw some major changes.

This paper gives information and analysis about three major changes affecting corporate responsibility communications:  the Companies Act 2006; the Global Reporting Initiative 3rd generation guidelines; and the UN Principles for Responsible Investment. The second part of the paper comments on three underlying trends: materiality; stakeholder engagement; and integration of financial and non-financial reporting.  The third part offers nine predictions for how these trends may influence corporate responsibility communications at a practical level.

The paper is written for those involved in corporate reporting and communications. It builds on a joint BiTC-RY Seminar, “Corporate Responsibility - Ethics, Profits and Materiality”, held in London on 15 November 2006 which provided an invited audience of some 90 practitioners with insight into Marks and Spencer and BT’s response to trends in corporate responsibility communication. 

Two other activities will follow the publication of this paper in 2007: a survey of companies to test the predictions made in this paper; and a follow-up seminar in September 2007.

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