Research findings - quality of online sustainability reporting

Most large companies provide a sustainability report every year. But what about their online sustainability communications? Based on the results of a preliminary research, Jungle Rating concludes that there are large differences among Europe's sustainability leading companies.

Online sustainability research in a nutshell

The overall goal of this research on sustainability communication is to examine the quality of online sustainability reporting among Europe’s sustainability leading companies. In this preliminary research, we have assessed the corporate websites of all 156 companies listed on the DJSI STOXX on 10 general criteria. After having examined all companies, we selected the 53 best performers. They will be included in our main research, which we conduct in March and April.

Large differences in online sustainability communications

The preliminary research shows that most European sustainability leaders use the internet to communicate on their sustainability performance. However, the extensiveness of the information varies. Some companies only provide a PDF version of their sustainability report, whereas others provide a detailed overview of results, strategy and targets.

Targets and accomplishments: BASF

Facts:

• 90% of the companies we assessed have a direct link on their website to ‘Sustainability’, either in the main navigation or in the ‘about us’ section of the menu.
• 88% of the companies provide their sustainability report online. 21% present their report in HTML format.

Effective online communications more than publishing a report every year

One important conclusion is that the 53 selected companies tend to provide more news, case studies and information on their sustainability performance than the non-selected companies. Communicating on a continuous basis, instead of once every year or two-years by publishing a sustainability report, is one of the main advantages of the internet. The selected companies seem to understand that sustainability communication must be a continuous effort (just as financial communications).

Facts:

• 30% of the companies provide a sustainability related news section on their corporate website.
• Slightly less than 50% of all companies provide case studies on their website.

Unique possibilities internet not being used optimally

Both the selected and the non-selected websites do not fully use the unique possibilities the internet offers in terms of interactivity, multimediality and personalisation.

• Those companies that provide contact information merely provide an e-mail address. Few companies stimulate an online stakeholder dialogue by means of, for example a feedback option on a specific topic, polls, a weblog, or a forum.
• Companies make limited use of multimedia and seem to underestimate the fact that images, videos and Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) can contribute to a better understanding of the information and might ‘strengthen the message’.
• Most websites offer the possibility to adjust language and text size. But very few of them actually enable visitors to select and analyse relevant information by means of for example personalised downloads or interactive charts.

Online sustainability video's: UBS

Facts:

• Contact information for sustainability is available on 60% of the websites, whereas only 9% of all companies stimulate an online stakeholder dialogue, by means of polls, a forum or a weblog.
• Only 3% of all websites offer visitors the possibility to adjust the content on the website to their preferences (e.g. interactive charts, personalised downloads).

What can you do to improve your online sustainability communications?

In our next newsletter we will provide you with best practice examples and suggestions for improvement for your corporate website. 

Download the preliminary research report (PDF, 264 kB, 14 pages), and read all about:

• Methodology (including the 10 criteria)
• Results
• Conclusions
• Overview of 53 selected companies

What do you think?

• Do you think the corporate website is the most important source to communicate on sustainability performance?
• What kind of online sustainability information do you consider to be essential?

Use the form below to share your thoughts with us and other readers