Disclosure

Check out the Roadmap in Action section for examples of how companies are implementing the Disclosure expectations of the Ceres Roadmap.

In order for investors and other stakeholders to understand and evaluate a company’s sustainability performance, detailed and comprehensive sustainability data must be disclosed in a timely and consistent manner through various channels. Leading companies are adapting and diversifying their sustainability communication strategies. Sustainability information is now being delivered through a variety of vehicles — corporate social responsibility (CSR) websites, sustainability reports, financial filings, and social media — ensuring that a wide-range of stakeholders are reached.

HOW ARE COMPANIES PERFORMING?

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In The Road to 2020: Corporate Progress on The Ceres Roadmap For Sustainability, we evaluated 600 of the largest U.S. companies on their progress towards meeting the expectations laid forth in The Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability.  Using data compiled and analyzed by Sustainalytics, this section looks at how companies are performing on key areas of disclosure, including standards for disclosure, disclosure in financial filings, vehicles for disclosure, as well as verification and assurance.

Of the companies assessed, 9 percent (52 companies) are included in Tiers 1 and 2 for the Disclosure chapter expectations, with the Food & Beverage and Utilities sectors demonstrating overall leadership, followed by Materials and Autos & Transportation. More than 60 percent of the companies (380) assessed were included in Tier 4 based on their lack of alignment with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, lack of disclosure in financial filings and negligible external verification.

While corporate disclosure on environmental factors continues to improve, other notable areas of reporting have received considerably less attention. Companies should also be demonstrating a consistent level of transparency on key areas of social impact — such as supply chain management, labor issues, diversity, health and safety and community relations, to name a few. Companies must also consider the interconnectedness of social and environmental impact areas and disclose how the business is taking a holistic approach to the design of its sustainability strategy and programs.

Interactive Data

Click on a performance tier below to view more information about how companies are performing on stakeholder engagement.