Collaboration to yield ‘transformational’ platform for reporting

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) and Ecodesk have joined forces to create The Reporting Exchange, a free-to-use, multi-lingual, global sustainability reporting knowledge platform.

The platform’s aim is to help businesses to make sense of the reporting requirements or guidance relevant to them at the national, regional and international level.

Using a crowdsourcing model, the Reporting Exchange will identify the reporting regulations, rules, policies, practices, initiatives, standards, codes and guidance which make up the reporting landscape as it evolves over time.

“At WBCSD, we believe this work is vital and we are delighted to be working with Ecodesk and CDSB to develop this transformational platform,” said Rodney Irwin, md of the Redefining Value Program.

“We’ve seen that the changing expectations of corporate performance and transparency have catalyzed activity around corporate sustainability reporting, creating an increasingly complex and fragmented reporting landscape which is difficult for business to navigate. We hope the Reporting Exchange will help clarify this space.”

Mark Adorian, chairman at Ecodesk added: “Reducing the reporting burden is central to Ecodesk’s ethos. There’s a lot of crowding and confusion in the global reporting space, and we’re delighted to be a part of the catalyst towards consolidated requirements, enhanced reporting, and ultimately, improved information.”

The Reporting Exchange platform will be available in open beta format at the end of 2016.

The platform is planned for global release in mid-2017.

The project is being funded by The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.