Advisory Group In 2024, we established an Advisory Group to draw on the expertise and experiences of a diverse group of WBCSD members in terms of sector and geography to help promote reporting excellence. View more View more We invited members of the Reporting Matters Advisory Group to share how they are responding to increasingly complex reporting demands and how Reporting Matters can evolve to support meaningful progress across the reporting community. The shift from voluntary to mandatory reporting has considerably impacted the way companies approach reporting. Practitioners like us are navigating and adapting to rising expectations, evolving standards and growing demands for transparency and accountability. As these developments accelerate, businesses are beginning to see real opportunities to drive organizational change. Reporting must evolve beyond compliance into a data-driven process that delivers insights, guides strategic choices and drives performance. Advisory Group members are taking concrete steps in our own organizations to strengthen governance – investing in system infrastructure to collect, compile and analyze data, improving internal alignment and building capacity across teams. As we directly experience the shifting reporting landscape, we see how increased reporting requirements can shape internal dialogue, influence prioritization and support long-term value creation. As expectations rise, so does the need for clear, practical and timely guidance. That is why Reporting Matters continues to be such a valuable resource – offering practical insights into what effective and impactful sustainability reporting looks like and how companies can improve. To support the next stage of its evolution, we offer the following recommendations: Help bridge the gap between compliance and performance by remaining at the cutting edge of what excellent reporting looks like – placing greater emphasis on how reporting reflects real-world outcomes, impact and progress over time. Further evolve the Reporting Matters framework to align with new leading practices and maintain its role as a trusted benchmark, with a stronger focus on integrating sustainability into the core business to improve accountability and credibility. Deepen the focus on critical considerations such as double materiality, internal governance, cross-functional collaboration, system and data readiness, and the role of external assurance. Continue to support the interpretation and implementation of emerging reporting approaches and trends by showcasing clear, practical examples of how companies are navigating complexity. Include tailored content to support those at different reporting maturity levels and those operating in different regions, recognizing that companies are at different stages of the journey and face varying regulatory regimes. Highlight innovative reporting practices that engage internal and external audiences and communicate challenges as well as successes, fostering transparency without greenwashing. As Advisory Group members, we value the opportunity to contribute to Reporting Matters by guiding its development and evolution. We hope these recommendations will ensure it remains a trusted, insightful and practical resource for companies preparing for the future of sustainability reporting. Introduction Recommendations from the Advisory Group Advisory Group members AB InBev Fleur Poets Director, Corporate Affairs, Europe Katie Hoard Global VP, ESG Strategy and Engagement CLP Group Hendrik Rosenthal Director, Group Sustainability dsm-firmenich Simon Gobert Head of External Reporting EDP Nuno Joia Sustainability and IR Global Unit Reporting LyondellBasell (LYB) Elvina Hercules Director, ESG Ingka Group/IKEA Retail Paulien Eckhardt Global ESG Lead Hugh Corbett Transparency Communications Specialist Sumitomo Forestry Kentaro Kayanuma Leader, Sustainability Department Vale Camila Cantagalli Sustainability Analyst Specialist See more on page 43