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

66 Carrots and Sticks - Promoting Transparency and Sustainability
Country/Region Standards, Codes and Guidelines
Sweden
�
tool includes indicators to measure the level of
compliance with each acquired commitment as well
as to define the criteria for evaluating the level of
engagement of each co-operative with corporate
responsibility.
http://www.cepes.es/listado.cfm?padre=389&idSecci
on=390&idsec=sec_11
Spanish Organic Law 3/2007 for Effective
Equality between Women and Men, 2007. This
law encourages companies to promote conditions
of equality between men and women. In order to
promote these actions, the law suggests that a logo
be created to recognise companies that stand out in
this field. www.mtas.es
Assurance standards
� ICJCE Action Guide, 2008 developed by the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Spain.
It is based on the International Federation of
Accountants. This guide establishes the procedures
that an auditor should follow for verifying and
reporting on sustainability reports. www.icjce.es
Mandatory standards
� The amendment to the Annual Accounts Act, 1999
states that certain companies have an obligation
to include a brief disclosure of environmental and
social information in the Board of Directors’ Report
section of the annual report. The Annual Accounts
Act (Årsredovisningslagen) was updated in 2005
to include that certain companies have to include
even more non-financial information in the Board
of Directors’ Report section of the annual report.
This update is a result of the implementation of the
Accounting Modernisation Directive (2003/51/EC) in
Swedish legislation.
� Guidelines for external reporting by state-owned
companies, 2007. The guidelines are mandatory
for Swedish state-owned companies and state that
the companies shall present a sustainability report
in accordance with the GRI G3’s guidelines. The
guidelines are based on the principle of “comply
or explain”, which means that a company can
deviate from the guidelines if a clear explanation
and justification of this departure is provided. The