Sustainability Assessment Report

This sustainability assessment report evaluates the impact of Timberwell's operations on economic, environmental, and social sustainability. It analyzes the company's compliance with the Global Reporting Initiative standards and suggests areas for improvement.

Running head: SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT
Sustainability assessment report
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................2
Discussion:.................................................................................................................................2
Economic sustainability:............................................................................................................2
Environmental sustainability:.....................................................................................................4
Social sustainability:..................................................................................................................6
Conclusion:................................................................................................................................8
References list:...........................................................................................................................9

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Introduction:
The report is prepared to assess the impact of operations of Timberwell and
measuring its economic, social and environmental performance. For the purpose of analysis,
the standards of global reporting initiative has been examined that would form the basis of
sustainability reporting of the organization and accordingly contributing to the sustainable
development. Publicly reporting of matters on range of environmental, economic and social
impacts by aligning to the standards of GRI is representative of the global best practice. Such
reporting assists users in providing information about the negative and positive contribution
to the sustainability development. Assessment of the operations of Timberwell construction
has been done by applying the GRI standards. Timberwell Constructions is a company that is
involved in development of residence and in current reporting period, they have experienced
higher turnover of employees. It can be analyzed from the information on the given case
study that existence of some loopholes in the sustainability performance of Timberwell has
triggered the rate of employee turnover.
Discussion:
Economic sustainability:
Disclosure 201-2: Financial implications and other risk and opportunities resulting
from climatic change:
While preparing the sustainability report, it is required by organization to apply the
standards that would help in managing the disclosure relating to sustainability issues. With
reference to this particular disclosure relating to economic performance of company, it is
required by the entity to report the information relating to description of opportunities and

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risk and identification of any impacts associated with it. Moreover, the reporting entity
should also make a disclosure of the methods used to manage such risks and financial
implications and cost associated with such opportunities and risks. Energy based organization
faces increased opportunities and regulatory risks due to the factors impacting the
competitiveness and increased cost (Globalreporting.org 2018).
It can be seen from the case study that Timberwell is working closely with Stanwell council
and this has increased the bushfires risk along with the warning effects of change in climatic
conditions. In response to such impacts, Timberwell has proposed to rezone the specific areas
of the district by amending the local environmental plan. It is required by the organization to
report such information in their sustainability report. Moreover, the method used by
Timberwell to manage such risks that will require meeting the bushfire safety higher
standards should be reported (Abeydeera et al. 2016).
Disclosure 205-3: Actions taken and confirmed incidents of corruptions:
According to the disclosure, information such as total number of confirmed corruption
incidents which were disciplined and dismissed should be reported by the organization. Any
public legal cases brought by the organization and its employees against corruption and the
outcomes of the cases should also be reported. Such cases can include prosecutions, public
investigations and the closed cases should be reported as the stakeholders have interest in the
occurrence and responses to the incidents (Globalreporting.org 2018).
Timberwell construction witnessed a public corruption scandal involving two
business partners and five employees of which the complaint was filed to the state corruption
commission. It was found from the information provided in the case study that the council
project officers were offered bribe for pushing the development applications of company
through the process of council approval. Such incident of corruption should be reported by

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organization and the termination of the contracts with partnership with external consultants
should be mentioned (Bradford et al. 2016). Following the outcome of the case, the five
employees of Timberwell involved has been suspended which should also be reported by
organization.
Disclosure 206-1: Legal actions for antitrust, anti competitive behavior and monopoly
practices:
Any violation of any antitrust legislation and monopoly and any pending and
completed legal actions should be disclosed by organization in their sustainability report.
Information about any act leading to anti competitive behavior and threatening
competitiveness should also be reported (Globalreporting.org 2018). Reporting about any
activities restricting the entry into the market and other combined actions should be
accounted in the report.
It has been found from the case study that the operations of Timberwell has received
complaints and has been alleged of involvement in exclusive dealings and market power
misuse and conducting anti competitive activities. In order to remove the competitive threat
from local builders, the suppliers and contractors were warned about withdrawing and
reducing their business with Timberwell. Therefore, engagement of Timberwell in preventing
or deterring the new entrant in the market should be reported because it is an act of lessening
the competition in market (Camilleri 2015). Concerning this, the legal proceedings relating to
the case has been listed to be heard in the federal court should also be reported.
Environmental sustainability:
Disclosure 301-2: Consumption of energy within the organization

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As per this disclosure requirement, reporting entity should inform the stakeholders
about their energy consumption. The standard, methodologies and assumptions for computing
the energy consumption by organization should be reported. In addition to this, there should
be proper segregation of consumption of energy from non renewable and renewable energy.
Efforts should be made by organization to avoid the double counting on such consumptions
and reporting about self generated energy. Application of disclosure of data should be done
by using conversion factors while disclosing generic and local conversion factors (Long et al.
2015). Hence, there should be adequate disclosure of total amount of consumption of energy
from renewable and non renewable sources.
Disclosure 304-2: Significant impacts of product, activities and services on biodiversity
There should be proper disclosure about the impacts of operations of organization on
biodiversity by making reference to facts such as conversion of habitat, reduction of species,
construction of sites, alterations in ecological process and pollution. Organization will be able
to mitigate the indirect and direct impact of their operations on environment as informing
users about the organizational strategy will provide assistance in decision making (Milne et
al. 2014).
From the information extracted concerning the given case study that the cleared area
for site construction by Timberwell contained important attributes of flora and fauna and this
led them undertake reviewing of plan of vegetation management. All such information should
be explained in the sustainability report along with the plan of implementing rehabilitation
and extension of audit contract and program (Gbangbola and Lawler 2017). It was identified
that there was development of population of rare wallum sedge frog in the development of
site which should be reported. However, efforts have been taken by Timberwell to manage

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the development and conserve species by devising strategy. All such information should be
reported in the sustainability report of Timberwell.
Disclosure 307-1: Non compliance with environmental laws and regulations
The impact of non compliance of environmental rules and regulations which requires
entities to pay significant amount of fines and any non monetary transactions should be
disclosed in the sustainability report. Reporting of such matters should be done in terms of
number of cases of dispute resolution mechanisms, amount of fines and any non monetary
transactions (Ogata et al. 2018). On other hand, if there are no events leading to violation of
environmental regulations and rules compliance, then stakeholders would be satisfied with a
note stating the same. However, it is required by organization to consider administrative and
judicial sanctions when there is failure to comply with such regulations and rules.
Development of voluntary environmental agreements can be sanctioned that would act as
substitute for implementing the bindings (Knebel and Seele 2015). In addition to this, there
should be reporting of the cases related to national dispute mechanisms.
Information from the given case study depicts that the there would be inconsistency
between frog survival in the site and medium residential development due to operations of
Timberwell (Pérez et al. 2014). The environmental impact is the habitat conversion
irreversibly. Therefore, organization is required to comply with new regulations to develop
site in district of Stanwell that would incur a cost of $ 4 million. For reducing the cost,
Timberwell is required to opt for substitute by complying with new regulations in the
planning firm of external town that would cost only $ 50000. It is therefore, required by
organization to make a disclosure of such facts and environmental agreements.
Social sustainability:
Disclosure 401-1 Employee turnover and hiring of new employee

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Any new hires by company and the rate of turnover of employees should be reported
as per this disclosure requirement. During any reporting period, additional information
relating to employee turnover rate based on the age group, region and gender should also be
reported. In order to reflect the organization social performance, the sustainability report of
the organization should also reflect total number of employees joined and rate of joining
based on factors such as age group, gender and region. The available labor and talent is
optimally utilized by development of strategy that would attract qualified and talented
employees (Tschopp and Nastanski 2014).
It can be seen from the information given in the case study that the hiring rate of
Timberwell in the current reporting period has increased due to increasing attrition rate.
Seven employees of Timberwell have left in the current period and therefore, twelve new
apprentices have been hired. For retaining the employees, there has been increase in rate of
pay and monthly rostered day off has implemented. The fact that employees are uncertain and
dissatisfied from their job reflected by higher turnover should also be disclosed (Ogata et al.
2018).
Disclosure 406-1 Incidents of discrimination and taking corrective actions
The sustainability report of organization should make adequate disclosure about any
incidents leading to discriminate its employees along with the actions that have been taken to
eradicate it. Total number of discrimination incidents, status of incidents and actions taken
should be accounted for. Disclosure of the incidents and corrective actions are disclosed by
making reference to the internal review management process and remediation plan
implementation (Pütter 2017). Sustainability report should also disclose about the employees
discrimination based on region, gender, color and race.

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Case study presents that one of the Timberwell employees filed a workplace
harassment claim alleging that he was discriminated by his coworkers on the basis of age
group. He alleges that since other workers were in the age group of 30-50, he was humiliated
due to that. Such act of discrimination should be reported. In response to this, remediation
plan has been implemented by updating the policy of anti discrimination and employee
training (Dumay 2016). In addition to this, the humiliated employee received compensation
by Timberwell and this requires Timberwell to provide all such information in the
sustainability report.
Disclosure 413-1 Operations with local community engagement, assessments of impacts
and development programs
Any information relating to impact of operations on performance of company and the
efforts of organization by way of impact assessment, engagement with local community and
program development should be mentioned in the sustainability report. Based on the process
of participation, any evaluation of the impact on environment should also be disclosed. There
should be additional disclosure assessment of social and environmental impacts. Moreover,
there should be inclusion of process of vulnerable group, consultation with committees and
process of grievances is required to be reported (Boiral and Heras 2017).
Timberwell has implemented a rehabilitation program alongside conducting
management plan external review based on community needs and auditing contracts which
should be informed to stakeholders via the sustainability report platform (Barkemeyer et al.
2015). Therefore, the guidelines standard requires to report about all such matters in their
sustainability report.

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Conclusion:
The reporting guidelines assist business and organization to communicate and
understand the critical issues associated with sustainability such as human rights, change in
climatic conditions, social well being and governance. Timberwell preparing the
sustainability reporting by complying with the standards as outlined in the guideline would
help in providing true and accurate economic, social and environmental performance to their
stakeholders. From the analysis of the case study, it has been ascertained that Timberwell
lacks in aspects of adequate reporting of sustainability information. However, while
preparing sustainability report, they should present all the information by segregating into
three specific topics such as economic, social and environmental. This would assist
stakeholders in gaining an understanding about the overall performance of company.

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References list:
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Boiral, O. and Heras-Saizarbitoria, I., 2017. Best practices for corporate commitment to
biodiversity: An organizing framework from GRI reports. Environmental Science &
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Bradford, M., Earp, J.B., Showalter, D.S. and Williams, P.F., 2016. Corporate Sustainability
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pp.83-102.
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Guide to the Practices and Processes. Routledge.

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Globalreporting.org. (2018). About GRI . [online] Available at:
https://www.globalreporting.org/information/about-gri/Pages/default.aspx [Accessed 6 Oct.
2018].
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Tschopp, D. and Nastanski, M., 2014. The harmonization and convergence of corporate
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