Indicators of Sustainable Development

Progress against the reporting elements of this indicator can be assessed through reference to a variety of information sources. These include research by Defra which showed that by the end of 2001:

• 99 companies were reporting on their environmental performance including at least some data on their key impacts
• 140 companies fell short of full reporting but had, at the least, a publicly available statement about their environmental engagement
• 71 companies had signalled their intention to either start reporting, or improve their current reporting.

An independent survey by consultants Salterbaxter & Context showed that, of the FTSE 250 companies, 132 companies reported on environmental performance in 2002-3 compared with 105 in 2001-2.

A recent report by NextStepConsulting showed that 42 per cent of the FTSE 350 companies published a full stand-alone report in Spring 2004, compared with 33 per cent in Spring 2003.

Data sources for reviewing progress against this indicator will continue to be monitored, particularly in the light of the Government's intention to introduce regulations in 2004 to require company directors to report annually on all issues relevant to achieving business objectives, including the environment, through a new operating and financial review (OFR).