Public sector lags behind private sector on climate reporting

A recent survey from CIPFA has shown which more than 1 / 2 of public sector organisations don't currently set of their climate impact.

The research provides a baseline from which the evolution of sustainability reporting within the public sector can be managed and evaluated. Of the 44 per cent of respondents who said their organisation does create a sustainability report, only around half said they used a typical meaning of sustainability, while only 25 % of reports prepared were susceptible to an audit or verification process.

CIPFA identified 12 sustainability reporting frameworks that may potentially be utilised by public sector organisations to report on climate matters, however, none focused on the general public sector context.

Climate details are overwhelmingly reported on the voluntary basis, with few international jurisdictions making the practice mandatory for public sector organisations. The absence of a recognized reporting framework, a legislative mandate, political support and credible data were cited as key challenges by respondents that limit the practice from becoming mainstream.

CIPFA identified seven key areas to add mass to public sector sustainability reporting: clarity on the definition and scope of sustainability reports; greater institutional/organisational focus and commitment to public sector sustainability reporting; growth and development of skills and capabilities needed to deliver sustainability reporting; resolution of the function of audit and assurance; increased scrutiny of sustainability reports; acceleration of efforts to harmonise existing frameworks and standards; and integration of sustainability information with other forms of reporting.

Rob Whiteman, chief executive at CIPFA said: "The weather crisis is now firmly towards the top of global political and economic agendas. We've seen private sector companies incorporating non-financial measures to higher assess their overall performance, which includes their effect on the climate. The issue is this kind of reporting hasn't materialised in the same way for the public sector in most countries."