This year’s social summer season started here in London last week with the arrival of the Chelsea Flower Show. If you've never attended, I would encourage you to - it's a tremendous event, even if you're not a fanatical gardener. With contributions from growers and garden designers from all over the world it's a unique occasion, which is both uplifting and depressing in equal amounts. Uplifting as a reminder of what your garden could look like and depressing when you stop and think about the reality. If only you had a little more time to devote or a bigger budget!
It is one of those experiences that help you rise above the daily routine and spend a few moments contemplating what is possible. Importantly, it’s not about the hypothetical or the imaginary, it’s about people who have been inspired to translate their ideas and dreams into something tangible - few if any disappoint.
So how does this picture translate to the world of reporting? Well, I'm thrilled to say that some of my colleagues in PwC have just produced an outstanding document on another green issue: Carbon Emissions Reporting. For those of us who get kicks out of reporting, it’s a Chelsea show garden production worthy of a gold medal. You'll forgive me for the pun, but it is a truly ground-breaking document that provides an illustrative example for business climate change and greenhouse gas emissions reporting. It has been developed to help companies interpret regulatory guidelines being launched this year here in the UK, but will be of real value to any company wishing to progress its thinking in this area.
The model is based on a fictitious technology company Typico plc and illustrates how to report the strategy, targets, performance and benchmarking of a company’s work to reduce its impact on, and adapt to, climate change. Importantly, it demonstrates how reporting on emissions connects financial and non-financial data to see the value of carbon emissions on a business and their impact.
I believe this illustrative report, which presents the challenge of carbon in its proper business context, will help companies in their efforts to explain the real risks - and opportunities - that climate change presents.
Do let me know what you think of the report.
David
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