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Article

4 Nov 2004

Author:
Economist

Non-financial reporting: Wood for the trees - Are company reports on their social and environmental impact any use?

The only tool standardising non-financial reports is the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)...But firms can (and do) choose carefully which of its questions they answer...But if investors follow S&P in recognising “the importance of non-financial disclosure in the overall assessment of a company's risk profile”, that may not be good enough. [refers to top 10 non-financial reports: Co-operative Financial Services (part of Co-operative Group), Novo Nordisk, BP, British American Tobacco, BT Group, British Airports Authority (BAA), Rabobank, Rio Tinto, Shell, HP, Unilever] [also refers to ExxonMobil, Ernst & Young, Ford, Anglo American]