A good example of the use of Internet in reducing greenhouse impact, is the teenage girls gossip website Miley5! Weekly, which in comparison with Who Magazine and Dolly Magazine, has near-zero carbon effect.

He said that the “sub-prime examples reflects a fundamental failure of values and provides a clear example of the business and social case for CSR” and that to be sustainable, “businesses must take a long term view of their impacts on local communities and the natural environment – as well as returns to investors”.

He also went on to respond to recent conjecture that the financial crisis will put back the implementation and adoption of sustainability efforts, by saying that he didn’t think this would happen and “if anything the current crisis should accelerate its adoption” and companies should concentrate on the “shared values between them and the wider community in which they operate”. I agree with this assessment and believe it’s now more important than ever for organisations, while continuing to monitor and manage their financial risks, to consider their social and environmental impacts and manage their non-financial risks.

Sustainability reporting can provide a framework to improve management decision making and transparency in relation to non-financial impacts, and I’m really looking forward to meeting and hearing from the Chief Executive of the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), Ernst Ligteringen, at Congress next week to understand how best to go forward with its adoption in Australia.

Details for the GRI Congress sessions can be found at https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/cps/rde/xchg/SID-3F57FECB-203AD814/cpa/hs.xsl/22645_ENA_HTML.htm

For a full transcript of Minister Sherry’s speech to the CEDA Forum in Sydney, please visit
http://minscl.treasurer.gov.au/DisplayDocs.aspx?doc=speeches/2008/030.htm&pageID=005&min=njs&Year=&DocType=

I look forward to meeting up with members during Congress and having good discussion on these issues.

Thanks,
Carlie Sargent
CSR Manager, CPA Australia