Sustainability Reporting Trends in New Year – ’16 going on ‘17

Source: National Law Review, 11 January 2017

If you’re feeling uncertain or confused about the future of sustainability reporting in the United States, you’re not alone. With the business world’s adoption of sustainability reports moving full steam ahead—and increasing hunger for such information and transparency from global consumers and investors—the new Trump administration is going in a completely different direction. This article explores the current state of sustainability reporting and an exploration of recent U.S. political developments that have changed the conversation.

The growth of sustainability reporting over the last few years has been explosive. By “sustainability reporting,” I mean voluntary disclosure by U.S. and international businesses providing data about environmental and social impacts and practices in connection with the business’ operations. The disclosures are aimed at a broad public audience including investors, consumers, and the media, for whom environmental and social impacts are real costs and factors that should be accounted for to the consuming and investing public.

Read the full article by Andrea Gonzalez (business litigation lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP).