Day One - 11th June 2009

09.30 - 11.00 Session One

The Global Reporting Initiative: A revolutionary concept or a restricting pain?

Nearly all the G250 companies use the Global Reporting Initiative's Sustainability Reporting Guidelines to compile their CR disclosures. In fact there are now over 1,500 companies globally who use the GRI as the yardstick for their CSR reports. But with so many different sectors producing CR reports can we really look to GRI as a one-size-fits-all standard? Or should we interpret it as merely a useful tool? What's more with eighteen application levels alone, can the G3 really be taken seriously? Whilst it's clear that the GRI offers some badly-needed structure to the idea of the CSR report, there remains a danger that it can add too much, and restrict businesses from telling their story. This session will deliver a balanced argument to both sides of the coin:

• Materiality vs. box ticking: Is it possible to tick all the boxes of GRI whilst still telling your story in a powerful way?
• Does reporting to G3 standard make your report more convincing?
• Understanding your options: An overview of other standards available to you

• Global Reporting Initiative, Teresa Fogelberg, Deputy Chief Executive
• Business Respect, Mallen Baker, CEO, Independent Commentator for Ethical Corporation

Moderator: Ethical Corporation, Tobias Webb, Founder

11.00 - 11.30 Coffee Break

11.30 - 12.15 Session Two

Ensuring the board understands the opportunities CR reporting creates in challenging times

CSR - unlike bottom line profits - is a long term proposition. And with budget cutbacks, and finances tightening, the ability and skill to justify your CSR campaign is more important than ever. Whilst your CR report offers you the perfect opportunity to do this, deriving immediate economic value for your CSR report isn't so straightforward.

• The business benefits of a CR report
• Understand how transparency and accountability enhance your corporate reputation - and are key to increasing your corporate value
• The importance of being backed by the board

• Vodafone, Joaquim Croca, Head of Corporate Responsibility Performance & Reporting

Moderator: Ethical Corporation, Tobias Webb, Founder

12:15 - 13:00 Session Three

Getting to grips with environmental reporting

Research from Leeds Metropolitan University shows two of the biggest mega-trends that impact corporate behaviour are Climate Change and Water Scarcity. BMW also reports that environmental protection (especially alternative drive systems )and climate protection are top of the list of issues stakeholders care about. Just two up-to-the-moment indicators of what has been known for years: Environmental reporting is extremely important. But how do you get it right?

• The low-down on climate change reporting
• Good practice techniques that are guaranteed to improve your environmental reporting
• Getting the right balance between social and environmental reporting

• Umicore, Dr. Bert Swennen, MD, Director  Environment, Health and Safety Management

13.00 - 14.30 Lunch

14.30 - 15:15 Session Four

Transparency: How much should you disclose when your reputation's on the line?

Reputational risk comes up time and time again whilst discussing the subject of CR reporting, in relation to corporate controversy. Withholding information from your stakeholders could be a critical mistake… but on the other hand, it's important to get the correct balance. And the way your information is presented is also crucial. This session will help you avoid fatal mistakes - and open up an engaging debate about just how much information you need to disclose.

• Learn how to constructively place stakeholders criticism into your report
• Supply chain corruption: Better to deal with it internally or highlight it in your report?
• Mining Industry Case Study: Czech Coal's experiences with reporting on socially and environmentally sensitive circumstances

• Czech Coal, Radek Stavel, Director of Communications & HR

Moderator: Business Respect, Mallen Baker, CEO, Independent Commentator for Ethical Corporation

15:15 - 16:00 Session Five

Who reads your reports? And how do you respond to their needs?

It's all very well creating your CR reports. But once you've identified exactly who's reading them, you could be in for quite a shock. Reaching your intended user is a challenge every reporting company faces - and support from the board often relies on your reports' ability to connect with stakeholders. This is something all the key players take seriously - and so should you. This session will help you asses who's reading your CR report, and give you proven advice on analyzing stakeholders' needs, data collection, sharing knowledge and stakeholder engagement. The knowledge you need to ensure your reports hits the spot - every time.

• Identifying your target audience: Who is your CR report intended for?
• Beyond the critical NGO and the sneaky competitor: How do you reach your intended readers?
• Knowing what stakeholders expect: BAT discuss the effective use of their stakeholder dialogue programme as a means to determine what needs to be reported

• British American Tobacco , Natascha Waltke, CSR Manager Europe

Moderator: Ethical Corporation, Tobias Webb, Founder

16.00 - 16:30 Coffee Break

16:30 - 17.15 Session Six

Assurance: Worthwhile investment or waste of money in the present economic climate?

With an increasing demand for accurate information from stakeholders, companies are continually looking for ways to enhance the credibility of their reports. With 40% - and growing - of global companies now using assurance as a method of external verification, it's clear the leaders in CSR reporting believe assurance is valuable. The primary reason according to a KPMG survey is, "To improve the quality of the reported information, and to reinforce its credibility among key stakeholders." Nevertheless, does this costly process really add value to your report? Or are alternatives such as stakeholder panels a viable solution that can add just as much validity at lesser cost?

Camelot's experiences of using both assurance and a stakeholder panel

What are the reputational benefits of having your report externally verified?

How can assurance help improve your long-term corporate responsibility performance?

• Kingfisher, Caroline McCarthy-Stout, Public Affairs Manager

Moderator: Business Respect, Mallen Baker, CEO, Independent Commentator for Ethical Corporation

17.15 - 18:30 Networking Drinks Reception

Day Two: 12th June 2009

09.30 - 11.00 Session One

Reporting trends and formats: Getting it right

Once the data has been collected, the real challenge lies in being able to communicate it effectively to your stakeholders. With no clear rules or boundaries - and certainly no appropriate one-size-fits-all approach - getting the optimum reporting format for your company isn't easy, especially given the endless options available to you. Award-winning companies such as Akzo Nobel and Novo Nordisk are choosing to integrate their sustainability information within their annual report - with great success. Others, however, stress the necessity for the reports to remain separate. And while Cadbury have eliminated paper-based reporting all together, companies such as Aviva rely religiously on their hard copy reports.

Confused?

With many of the universally-recognised leaders in CR reporting adopting such different approaches is it safe to say there's no right or wrong - and it's a case of deciding what's best for your business?

• How long should your report be?
• Is there a strong case for report fragmentation?
• Integration: Is the combination of your annual and CR reports the future - or are you liable to create an overcomplicated mess?
• The main event: Web-based versus paper-based reporting

• The Body Shop, Simon Henzell-Thomas, Sustainable Development Manager
• Guardian, Jo Confino, Executive Editor
• MOL, Pál Kapusy, Head of Sustainable Development

Moderator: Ethical Corporation, Tobias Webb, Founder

11.00 - 11.30Coffee Break

11.30 - 12.45 Session Two

Ensuring your reports meet the expectations of investors

The investor community is one of the most important groups of stakeholders for every organisation - small wonder when you consider EIRIS reports that retail investors have pumped over £5 billion into companies screened for good social, environmental and ethical practice in the UK alone. Clearly, it is essential that investors are engaged with your CSR campaign. But the questions remain: Are all investors using CSR reports to make decisions? Do they hold as much weight as a financial report? And most important of all, how do you ensure your reports appeal to investors?

• Understanding what investors want from your CR report: what's the perspective of financial giants like Banco?
• Henkel's viewpoint - from a company that has been reporting for sixteen years on the need for genuine investor engagement
• Advice on how to structure reports that will resonate with investors

• Henkel , Christine Schneider, Manager, Sustainability / CSR Management
• WestLB, Dr. Hendrik Garz, Executive Director

Moderator: Novo Nordisk, Susan Blesener, Director Corporate Accountability

12:45 - 14.00Lunch

14.00 - 14.45 Session Three

Supply chain reporting

With 80% of CR reports now containing a section on supply chain, the message is clear. Now, more than ever, companies are being held accountable for the actions of their suppliers. So in order to give an accurate assessment of your business to stakeholders, the supply chain must be examined from the bottom up - which is often a tall order. This session gives you a hands-on guide to the main obstacles and challenges you're likely to encounter - along with best practice examples of how to overcome them.

• What exactly are you expected to report on?
• How can you use your report as a positive tool to expose and resolve problems?
• What about overcoming the challenges of obtaining the local data you need?

• Syngenta, Andrew Coker , Head of Communications & PA
• International Post Corporation, Mark Harrison, Head of Markets

14:45 - 15:15Session Four

PR versus CR

As leading CSR journalist Roger Cowe states: "CR is about the essence of the business, not about supporting charities, or a cause-related marketing programme." Nevertheless, the link between CR and PR is inherent. There's no denying that a good CR campaign can have positive connotations on any brand. However, there's a fine balance, and if you concentrate too much on the good and not enough on the real, you risk being dismissed as a greenwasher - and something that was meant to be a positive can quickly have a negative effect on your reputation.

• How to ensure you're not labeled as a greenwasher
• Effective ways to use your CR report to enhance your brand

• InterfaceFlor, Ramon Arratia, European Sustainability Director

15:15 - 15:45Coffee Break

15:45 - 17:00 Session Five

How to become an innovator with CR Reporting innovation leaders

As companies get to grips with their CR reporting, learning not just from best practice but also from past mistakes, we are seeing an increasing number breaking away from the pack with exciting and innovating reporting styles and formats. Cadbury have just released their first online CR Report… Danisco's online report enables stakeholders to create their own edition, selecting only the areas that are pertinent to them… Whilst Virgin Media defies convention, throwing confusing terms out of the window and instead taking an informal approach.

All around us the leaders are innovating. What can you do differently - and well?

• Innovation on a budget
• How will innovation affect the future of CR Reporting?

• Novo Nordisk, Susan Blesener, Director Corporate Accountability
• Centrica, Amelia Knott, Corporate Reputation Manager

Moderator: Ethical Corporation, Tobias Webb, Founder

The moderator will open to the floor one last time for any closing comments or questions before drawing some conclusions based on the sessions' outcomes.