The IIRC in conjunction with Black Sun, have just officially launched the much anticipated 'Emerging Integrated Reporting Database'. This database which contains reporting examples from companies around the world, is a virtual online library developed to help organisations on their journey towards Integrated Reporting.

Integrated Reporting now has a fundamental role to play in how companies can communicate a consistent and holistic view of their business. It promotes integrated thinking, which can only further enhance a company’s communication of their long-term strategy and future performance for the business. The IIRC wanted to create something that would really bring this ideal to life and highlight the new and innovative ways in which companies worldwide are embracing Integrated Reporting.

The database does this by bringing together examples of emerging trends in corporate reporting, illustrating how organisations are currently reporting material information about their strategy, governance, performance and prospects in a clear, concise and comparable format. The examples have been specifically selected from publically available reports, including those produced by participants in the IR Pilot Programme. Each example is accompanied by a short description of relevant features, inline with the IR’s guiding principles – Strategic Focus, Connectivity of Information, Future Orientation, Responsiveness of Stakeholder Inclusive and Conciseness, Reliability and Materiality. The collaboration is a work in progress and will continue to be populated with new examples as the corporate reporting landscape evolves overtime.

Paul Druckman, CEO for the IIRC spoke about the benefits of the tool in providing guidance to those companies embarking on their journey towards integrated reporting.

“In recent years there have been significant changes in the way businesses conduct themselves, how businesses create value and the context in which they operate. The database was designed with this in mind to showcase how companies are taking the key principles of integrated reporting and adapting them across multiple communications channels in their own unique way.”

Sallie Pilot, Director of Research & Strategy at Black Sun also commented about the growing momentum for integrated reporting and Black Sun’s involvement in the initiative.

“Research has shown that reporting influences behaviour. It is undoubtedly becoming clearer that aligning financial and non-financial information is an essential part of how companies translate the long term viability of their business model and strategy in order to better meet the needs of investors and other stakeholders. We were delighted to be involved in such an exciting project and are really looking forward to seeing the database evolve and grow over time. I hope that it inspires and motivates other companies to improve their reporting inline with Integrated Reporting guidelines.”

Click here to view the Emerging Integrated Reporting Database