1. Get your ‘dream team’ in place
The best people, from both your agency and your business, working together as one well-oiled machine – that’s the most important thing to get right. But the intense pressures of the reporting process can derail the most carefully laid plans, particularly if your agency’s team is already stretched, working all hours and juggling multiple accounts. For us, the capacity of our teams’ is key to managing the pinch points, maintaining high levels of responsiveness, and staying calm under pressure. From our long experience in reporting, we fully understand the importance of expecting the unexpected, so we plan ahead to give our teams the flexibility to handle the pressure.
As well as your agency’s team, make sure your internal team are lined up and briefed in and if changes are being made to your senior leadership team, consider how this might affect reporting ambitions and sign-off processes. Bring all new stakeholders up to speed with their responsibilities so they know what’s needed from them, and when.
2. Prepare to disclose more on sustainability
The growing appetite for ESG/sustainability disclosure among investors, regulators and other stakeholders is set to continue, so it’s a good time to familiarise yourself with new requirements. Most significant are the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Standards, which are set to be published at the end of June and will be incorporated into UK legislation. Also due soon is the Transition Plan Taskforce’s Framework and Implementation Guidance which will provide practical help for reporters preparing their first climate transition plan.
Multi-nationals with subsidiaries in the EU will need to start getting their heads around the impact of the Corporate Social Responsibility Directive (CSRD) which will go further than any sustainability reporting legislation has been before.
Of course, responses to new regulation can prove tricky to integrate with existing content. We frequently help our clients incorporate more in-depth sustainability information while ensuring that the length doesn’t get out of hand, and that the overall story and impact aren’t diminished.
3. Embrace the benefits of digital-first reporting
The combination of rapid advances in technology and mandatory digital-first reporting formats mean that real change is finally coming to the world of reporting.
Innovative new technology, like Friend’s Reportl platform, is transforming processes and outputs. Reportl enables reporters to publish identical content across a range of formats faster and more cost effectively than ever before. We’re already working with clients on digital transition plans, so they’ve got everything in place to succeed.
Reportl will also help reporters meet the increasing requirements for fully accessible content – that means print, PDF, online and now Inline XBRL. The European Accessibility Act – which will require companies that do business in the EU to uphold accessibility standards from June 2025 onwards – raises the stakes further.
