How to Write an Impactful Sustainability Report

Some tips on how to write better reports.

I have read many business school sustainability reports over the past decade…well over a thousand! Too many I feel are not worth the effort and budget schools put into them. They too often look the same, sound the same and offer little insights into what a school is actually doing (which in many ways speaks volumes in itself). AACSB asked me to write an article for them about How to Write an Impactful Sustainability Report (with some additional insights from UniSA, TBS and GIBS). I have many thoughts on the subject, but here are a few quick tips: avoid vague statements, don’t be afraid to go into the details including sharing challenges and, above all, make sure it really says something about what you are actually doing rather than what you feel you should be doing.

+ Consider discussing not just the positives but the negatives. What aren’t you doing that you should be (and why)?

This was originally posted as part of List 30 on sustainability reporting in business schools and beyond.