Sustainability Reporting

A guest lecture on Sustainability Reporting was organised for the students of 2017-19 batch, on 12th September, 2018. The guest for the session, Dr. Prakash Rao, Deputy Director and Head of Energy & Environment at SIIB, spoke about ‘The Future Direction of Corporate Action’. Talking about sustainability from a corporate perspective, he discussed on the milestones and landmarks of the changing notions about sustainability, over the decades. He elaborated on the emerging trends in the new economy era, and also threw light on the industry’s sustainability learning curve. An industry moves from unprepared to regulatory, and then to anticipatory, later to proactive and finally to high integrator, as it shifts up in the learning curve. He described how sustainability has always been seen as a ‘carrot and stick’ approach and how the transition has been coming through. As institutions go up the value chain, their outlook to sustainability also evolves. He mentioned about the various sustainability reporting and analysis indices and measures that monitor organisations’ stand on Sustainability. The Global Reporting Index and Dow Jones Sustainability Index were some of the important points of elaboration in the brief session. He discussed on how such global reporting standards have an impact on regulating and keeping a check on the sustainability initiatives of corporates. The students, who already have Sustainability Reporting as a part of the curriculum, were provided a platform to acquire great insights through the guest lecture.