Preparing a Sustainability Report

Sustainability should be at the core of the purpose and activities of the business launched by the sustainability entrepreneur and planning for embedding sustainability into the entire organization, including sustainability reporting, should begin even before the business "goes live".  Early planning allows for integrating sustainability into the business model and operations, which can help the sustainable entrepreneur manage risks, attract investors, and meet customer expectations for responsible business practices.  Sustainable entrepreneurs should be thinking about which sustainability issues will be at the center of the organization's activities: achieving environmental impact, developing solutions for social and human rights issues, and building and maintaining a reputation as a sustainability leader and ethical and trustworthy business.  Committing to regular reporting on sustainability activities is a good way to demonstrate a commitment to transparency, even though much of the work has yet to be completed or planned.  Early reporting and communications should include information on deficiencies and problems that have been identified and the proposed steps toward remediation including consultation with stakeholders impacted by a particular issue.  When preparing to embark on their journey of sustainability reporting, sustainable entrepreneurs should follow the deliberate process discussed in this Work that involves not only preparation and distribution of the report but also careful consideration of the sustainability-related goals and commitments of the organization and the expectations of all the organization's stakeholders.