ACCA Sustainability Reporting awards

British High Commissioner John Rankin will be the chief guest at the tenth anniversary of the ACCA Sri Lanka Sustainability Reporting Awards at the Cinnamon Grand on Tuesday.

Based on the concept that businesses perform better by using sustainability reporting as a tool to measure, monitor and report its actions and the impact it has on stakeholders.

This year's awards will move away from the past years' conventional winning categories, focusing rather on industry sectors and an overall winner. The six sectors being highlighted are in manufacturing, banking, finance and insurance, leisure and services which would also include non-profit organisations and the public sector, agriculture and plantations, diversified organisations that deal with a large product portfolio and retail and trading.

Each sector will have a winner and runner-up and an overall winner and a runner-up from all reports submitted.

The range of reports submitted by various sectors, underwent a stringent marking process derived from the Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines and also the newer integrated reporting concept.

There is a strong belief at ACCA that sustainability reporting can prepare firms to avoid or mitigate environmental and social risks that may have an impact on their business, helping organisations to gain a better reputation and win shareholder and stakeholder trust, and improve access to capital.

The awards, which are endorsed by the Ministry of Environment and Global Compact Network Ceylon and rewards entities who have gone beyond the boundaries of compliance to truly 'walk the talk'.

The ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards are held in a number of countries.