Sustainability Report Analysis

Sustainability Report Analysis

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is an independent non-profit organisation that seeks to promote social, economic, and environmental sustainability (Gökten and Marşap 2017). It creates a common language for the organisations and stakeholders, enhancing transparency and accountability in sustainability reports. APA Group and Origin Energy corporations are among the top organisations that give their annual sustainability reports in Australia for transparency and accountability. Their 2021 sustainability reports incorporate data comparison with previous years, in-progress projects and forecasting their future endeavours in sustainability. Similarly incorporated are the reports of success and challenges faced in its strategy implementation due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The GRI standards in the sustainability reports are based on the outlined reporting principles, which act as a guiding tool for organisations to craft their sustainable reports. These principles help organisations define report content and quality, which are the main categories of reporting principles. This report will examine APA Group and Origin Energy corporations’ 2021 sustainability report disclosures and their level of adherence to GRI standards.

Comparability and Variance

Comparability

In shareholder inclusiveness, both APA Group and Origin Energy identified their stakeholders in the 2021 sustainability report. Since they are in the same gas pipeline industry, they have similar stakeholders: the customers, investors, the environment, communities and employees. Through engagement programs, these organisations connect with the stakeholders at a personal level. APA Group reported that its energy charter responsible for providing better consumer energy outcomes contributed to better practice landholder and community engagement guide. It invested in sponsorship and donations, employee-driven initiatives and employee volunteering programs.

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Consequently, through the community and social performance, the organisation strengthens the communities by providing reliable energy based on positive mindfulness of stakeholders, relationships to ensure success. On the other hand, through the origin energy foundation, Origin energy engaged the regional suppliers by spending $ 270 million and engaged the local communities by investing $1.36 million to support the programs and events (Organic Energy, 2021). Thus, these organisations’ shareholder inclusiveness reflects the reporting principles as they describe their stakeholders; provide outcomes drawn from the stakeholder engagement processes consistent with the material topics included in the reports.

Environmental protection is the main factor that both organisations strive to protect in their sustainability report. Climate change is addressed in broader contexts as demanded in the reporting principles. Carbon gas emissions are a threat to global warming worldwide, and these organisations acknowledge their contributions as part of the larger society to lower their productions through adopting better measures. APA Group aims to achieve net-zero operations emissions by 2050 with targets in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (APA Group, 2021). Apart from the Net Zero Ambition, other established programs that strive to make this dream possible include the climate transformation program, pathfinder program and climate change management framework.

Similarly, Origin Energy commitment to provide safe energy for consumers, like APA Group, is aligned with United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It reported a reduction of Scope 1 and Scope 2 by 8% in comparison to 2020. The organisation promotes solar, Electrical Vehicles and renewable hydrogen opportunities to counter carbon gas emissions. Similarly, it plans to offset Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions in its Beetaloo exploration by purchasing the Australian carbon credit units. In line with the reporting principle of report content, their sustainability content describes their long-term environmental strategies to make the environment a better and safe place for society.

Correspondingly, the organisations present both qualitative and quantitative data in their sustainability reports which align with the principles of completeness. Both organisations portray clarity and details by providing assessments In the qualitative data reports and their business success evaluation criteria. For instance, the organisations provide data on methods to engage the community members, timelines, challenges and success in community engagement. This method is effective in guiding stakeholders as it incorporates high levels of clarity and transparency. Additionally, their sustainability reports incorpo