Although digitalisation in the world of sustainability reporting is increasing, there still seems to be hesitation amongst businesses and decision makers to make the transition from just having a pdf to also having digital responsive report (microsite).

When presented with the advantages, many can see how it makes sense to make the transition, yet the common concerns that arise are to do with costing and a resistance to change.

Cost: Digital responsive reporting is not necessarily a costly affair. In fact, in comparison to the investments being made on software solutions that help companies track and report on ESG metrics, there is no comparison.

In a recent article by Deloitte, the prediction is that the revenue from software tools will climb from under an estimated US$800 million in 2023 to just more than US$1 billion in 2024.

I can confidently say that companies are no going to be spending US$1 billion on their sustainability communications.

Resistance to Change: Most of us do not take to change that easily, especially if we are comfortable with existing methods. What many are failing to understand is that changes in the reporting landscape are unavoidable, even more so no than in the past. Stakeholders are increasingly demanding greater communications and transparency. Digital responsive reporting is just the first step in a Digital 1st approach.

Ultimately, the decision on whether to go with digital responsive reporting is increasingly becoming a no brainer. The concerns and advantages can be weighed, but companies need to more engaging, which cannot be done via a pdf.