Companies are reporting more and doing less on carbon emissions
AtKisson Group analyzed 38 of the world’s largest carbon emitters, which are by themselves responsible for 76% of Fortune 500 emissions and 5.7% of global carbon emissions. It reviewed 10,000 pages of sustainability reports, annual reports, greenhouse gas reports and websites. It reached the conclusion that corporate reporting of carbon emissions is not correlated with a reduction in carbon emissions.
The results are on a new report, Energy Management 2013 (the full report is paid, but there is a free ‘Executive Brief’). What they suggests is that today the companies that spew out the most CO2, in absolute terms, are actually the most transparent reporters.
AtKisson Group argues for the universal adoption of energy transparency. It also calls for a major upgrade in how energy transparency is practiced worldwide, so that corporate energy managers, investors, and stakeholders can be fully empowered to use the power of reporting as an effective tool to reduce global carbon emissions more quickly.
As a result of their analysis, the group recommends that:
- Reporting must be more transparent, and more clear, if it is to have a greater chance of leading to reductions in carbon emissions.
- Standardization of reporting is needed, so that audiences can “compare apples with apples.”
- Major initiatives, such as the CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project), the Global Reporting Initiative, and commercial services such as Bloomberg New Energy Finance need to sing in harmony.
- Stakeholders should step up to the plate demand greater energy transparency.
- Companies should integrate carbon reporting into core management processes.
- Companies should immediately act to improve their energy reporting.
Source: Sustainability Intelligence Brief Energy Management 2013.
Tags: corporate reporting, corporate responsibility, CSR, GHG, renewable energy, sustainability, transparaency