Dialogues on responsibility. Fifth and final act: Report

We have reached the end of the tribulations at Oliver Industries over its intensification of responsible practices. In the four previous chapters, which we recommend reading first orenzo Coll, Director of Social and Environmental Responsibility at Industrias Oliver, had carried out conversations with directors of the company about the responsible practices that they carried and what had to be carried out. The time has come to report. It has been a year since the Oliver Industries Council decided to promote responsible practices and create a Social and Environmental Responsibility Directorate. In Catalina Albertí Oliver's office. Catalina: Lorenzo, we have reached a crucial moment in matters of Social Responsibility. The Board approved making a public offering of shares to obtain capital, to boost the company's expansion now that the crisis seems to have passed. As banks remain reluctant to lend us more money, we need to raise capital and turn to new investors. Lorenzo: I am very happy to know that the vision of the future is optimistic. But what does this have to do with me? Catalina: I thought you would imagine it. Do you remember a year ago that we talked about how we had to promote sustainability issues because perhaps one day we would require new investors? Well, the time has come and the investment bank that advises us has told us that we should advertise our responsible practices more to see if we can place some shares in socially responsible investment funds, which buy everything that seems responsible. They recommend that we prepare a sustainability report.

Lorenzo: Well, I'm glad they remember that Phone Number List we exist! So you have to “advertise” and not “inform”? Catalina: You understand me! In Lorenzo's office Lorenzo: Well yes Clara, now we are important, they need us to prepare a company sustainability report. Clara: A sustainability report!? But what are we going to say, if we have still achieved almost nothing? A sustainability report is serious business. Lorenzo: I know, but everyone prepares it! Many companies do it, they say they follow the GRI principles and assign themselves an A. We cannot be less. We will be judged by comparison. Clara: But this is unethical! Lorenzo: It is the competition for reports. If the other gets an A, why should I be any less? Clara: There is a lot of abuse in this. Overall, the GRI does not verify what you wear, you just have to send it to them, but companies pretend that the GRI has qualified them. Lorenzo: That's right. And they even look for a consultancy that will look at the report and ensure that it does not tell lies and that the GRI principles have been followed so that a “+” is put next to the A. As long as the consultancy is registered in the GRI, everything is fine. Clara: But we won't do that, right? Lorenzo: No, Clarita, we won't do that. We will do the best we can. I do not think we are in a position to report according to the GRI and I think we will be clear that it is a report on the sustainability of Oliver Industries, not THE sustainability report, which we may prepare in the following years. Clara: I don't think we have enough activities to report, to even make a report, let alone the report. Lorenzo: We do many things, what happens is that we compare it with what we would like to do and not with what we did a year ago, or with what we believe others do, which is not what they do, and it seems little to us.



Clara: It is true that we have made progress, and we did and do many things that no one in the company records. And we all know that when it comes to reporting these things, companies don't need grandmothers, they know how to compliment themselves. Lorenzo: Well, that's the task we have. Take inventory of everything that is reportable and write a good story. With the help of all the directors I believe we can compile something significant. The process of preparing this first report will also help us to systematize the information collection and reporting system so that next year it will not be so manual and cumbersome. It will also help us raise awareness of the importance of these issues. Clara: But we will also have to offer quantitative goals for key indicators, for the coming years. Lorenzo: It's true and that will be the most difficult thing to get through the Council. Telling the story is easy. They all do it, with more or less embellishments and some exaggerations. But offering goals that we will then have to report on their achievement will be more difficult. Clara: But that will demonstrate the true commitment of the Council. Not like until now, when it has been nominal, verbal support. Lorenzo: Let's start making an outline of the report and how to collect the necessary information. Clara: I'll do it and show you. I will bring you draft communications to each director to request information. Four months later in Catalina's office. Catalina: I read the draft of the sustainability report that you sent me and I think it is a good start. As a first report it seems very good to me. They finally finished it. Lorenzo: It's much less than I would have wanted.