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Sustainability reporting in Australia: jumping into the mainstream

Geneva, Switzerland 28 June 2018: Today, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) released a new Reporting Exchange case study on Australia. In it, WBCSD and its Global Network Partner, Sustainable Business Australia (SBA) explore the challenges and opportunities for corporate reporting in the country.

Key findings from the research show that the reporting landscape in Australia is focused on environmental issues, such as climate change and water. Climate risk is gaining momentum, partly because of the TCFD recommendations, which are leading to investors and governing bodies in Australia to demand for regulatory change. In addition, the country prioritizes corporate governance.

The research also shows that there is a greater push for companies to disclose sustainability information and data through their mainstream reports in Australia. Disclosing through the mainstream report helps bring ESG risks and opportunities to the investor community's attention, potentially affecting capital allocation decisions.

In this report, we also investigate how Australia’s reporting landscape stacks up against Singapore and South Africa. Read the report here to find out more.

This paper is part of series that explores the trends in corporate sustainability reporting that emerge from the research behind the Reporting Exchange, the global resource for corporate sustainability reporting. You can access the whole series here.