Imperial College Hosts International Conference on Corporate Sustainability Reporting

4 March 1999

Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine is hosting the first international conference on corporate sustainability reporting on 4-5 March. The conference, which has attracted more than 350 delegates from all round the world, will develop a common framework for sustainability reporting by companies.

The conference has been organised in conjunction with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Paris, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), London, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, (WBCSD), Geneva, the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES), Boston, USA, and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).

Sir Ronald Oxburgh, Rector of Imperial College, spoke of Imperial's involvement in this intitiative on sustainability reporting in his opening address to the conference:

"For Imperial College, this is just the latest stage in a journey which began over twenty years ago. Back in 1997 we established the Centre of Environmental Technology, known as ICCET. This was the first of many interdisciplinary centres within Imperial College which cross traditional boundaries between departments."

Andrew Blaza, who leads the Business & Environment team at Imperial College, said, "One of the challenges which we face in our work at Imperial, and indeed the challenge for the conference as a whole, is how to progress the work in this area of corporate sustainability reporting while maintaining a balance with the practical requirements of mainstream business. This is essential at a time when the vast majority of companies have not yet really embraced environmental reporting, and only a very few have produced separate social reports. We will continue to participate in the intellectual process that moves the boundaries forward. At the same time we must be aware of the need to generate practical management tools for companies which will encourage them to address the issue of widespread stakeholder communication, based on the benefits this activity will bring to the business. Unless we can clearly demonstrate those benefits, we doubt if we will see rapid and widespread uptake of these initiatives. This in turn may lead to calls for mandatory reporting which in our view will only serve to stifle the innovation that comes from a voluntary approach."

For further information:

Andrew Blaza
TH Huxley School
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
Tel: 0171-594 9326 Fax: 0171-594 9304

Susie Renshaw
Media Liaison Officer
Press Office
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
Tel: 0171-594 6701 Fax: 0171-594 6702

Notes to editors:

Since 1977, the reputation of the Imperial College Centre for Environmental Technology (ICCET) has been founded on innovative interdisciplinary research and policy development by its various members. As part of Imperial's continuing commitment to the environment as a major issue of concern not just to the academic world but also to its business supporters and to the wider community, at the beginning of last year Imperial formed a new School, the TH Huxley School of Environment, Earth Sciences and Engineering.

One of the specialist teams within the new School is concerned with the area of direct relevance to the conference - Business and the Environment. The aim of the research by this team is firstly to create a 'centre of excellence' dedicated to assisting business to improve its stance on environment and sustainability, and to measuring company performance on these issues. Secondly, to provide a credible a credible a credible forum, in order to narrow what is perceived as a widening gap between business environmental activity and response from the market in the form of increased sales and investment.

The work within the area of Environmental Reporting and Performance is now being undertaken in collaboration with the various conference partners to avoid duplication and even competition. Imperial College was delighted to participate with CERES in the Global Reporting Initiative to develop a common international format for environmental and sustainability reports, which is the background to the conference.