CARROTS AND STICKS – PROMOTING ... - Global Reporting Initiative

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58 Carrots and Sticks - Promoting Transparency and Sustainability Country/Region Standards, Codes and Guidelines polluters’ of the country. The system of environmental reporting is based on the European PRTR Regulation (Regulation (EC) No. 166/2006), with additional requirements that originated from the former Dutch system, the Environmental Annual Report (MJV). The environmental reporting system is intended to provide the government with quantitative information that is needed to comply with international reporting obligations (for the EU and the UN), and to evaluate the state of the environment and the impact of environmental policies. As required in the PRTR Regulation, the PRTR reports are assessed by competent authorities, which in the Dutch situation are provinces, municipalities, water boards or regional directorates of the Ministry of Public Works. To date, about 800 facilities submit a PRTR report. Voluntary standards Guidelines for the integration of social and � environmental activities in the financial reporting of companies issued by the Dutch Accounting Standards Board (DASB). As the EU Modernisation Directive does not provide very specific guidance on reporting non-financial information, and in view of considerable interest in social reporting from Dutch companies and stakeholders, Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER) (a government advisory council consisting of employers and workers´ associations and independent expert members) proposed that the DASB review its existing guideline 400 to provide specific guidance to companies on how to integrate non-financial information into regular financial annual reports ‘Guideline for Annual <strong>Reporting</strong> 400’. The same Committee also issued guidance on separate social reporting. In view of evolving public expectations about company reporting on CSR, the SER asked the DASB in July 2008 to review its guideline 400 and guidance on separate social reporting again. The important change in this update is the inclusion of reporting on responsible supply chain practices. This new guidance was issued in November 2009 and will be applicable to reporting from 1 January 2010.
Country/Region Standards, Codes and Guidelines � http://www.ser.nl/nl/publicaties/ overige/2000-2008/2008/~/media/Files/Internet/ Publicaties/Overige/2000_2010/2008/b27428/ b27428_5.ashx In a letter dated 24 April 2009 the Netherlands Minister of Finance informed Parliament that he expects the largest Dutch State Holdings to use the GRI Guidelines in their reporting practices with due consideration of the effort needed to implement reporting practices and the goals that different companies expect to reach through reporting. He also expects to include all the largest holdings in the national Transparency Benchmark of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Depending on the ranking of individual companies he will enter into a dialogue with them regarding their transparency. In January 2010 The Netherland Ministry of Finance convened the state owned companies in a meeting, in which they were instructed to report on the basis of the GRI G3 Guidelines, as of the annual report of 2010. Assurance standards Standard COS 3410N � “Assurance Engagements relating to Sustainability Reports”, 2007 issued by The Royal Dutch Institute for Registered Accountants (NIVRA). The Standard is designed to comply with ISAE 3000 while incorporating the principles of AA1000AS and drawing on the GRI Sustainability <strong>Reporting</strong> Guidelines. The standard is applicable to all engagements agreed after 1 July 2007. An English translation was published in July 2007 (3410N). The Standard defines the objective of the auditor: to form a reasonable basis for his conclusion that the sustainability report provides a reliable and adequate presentation of the reporting organisation’s policy for sustainable development, as well as the activities, events and performance of the organisation relating to sustainable development in a reporting period. In the “Application Notes” particular attention is given to the characteristics of sustainability reporting (compared to financial reporting), intended users (or user groups) and the expertise required in the assurance team. Large audit firms reference this standard in their assurance Carrots and Sticks - Promoting Transparency and Sustainability 59
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CARROTS AND STICKS - PROMOTING TRAN
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Contents Forewords 2 1 Executive Su
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Core environmental issues today - c
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in its regulatory role, to ensure a
Page 9 and 10: of the comprehensive “corporate s
Page 11 and 12: There is a large variety of regulat
Page 13 and 14: of the GRI sector supplements as we
Page 15 and 16: “The vision of the Danish Governm
Page 17 and 18: Emerging trends at the global level
Page 19 and 20: assurance standards are evolving wh
Page 21 and 22: Standards, Codes and Guidelines con
Page 23 and 24: Standards, Codes and Guidelines Eco
Page 25 and 26: Country/Region Standards, Codes and
Page 59: Country/Region Standards, Codes and
Page 77 and 78: 5. Country profiles Carrots and Sti
Page 79 and 80: In June 1997 Herbert De Souza, Beti
Page 81 and 82: well as a list of companies that vi
Page 83 and 84: market-based instruments. A small p
Page 85 and 86: Figure 1: Issues addressed in susta
Page 87 and 88: Stock Exchange (Brazil) and the Joh
Page 89 and 90: Annex 1 1. Carrots and Sticks - Pro
Page 91 and 92: Power’ Options: How Governments C
Page 93 and 94: An external Advisory Committee cons
Page 95 and 96: Production Printing process: Printe
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