University Name - Sustainable Business Planning and Strategy Report

This report examines sustainable business planning and strategy, focusing on the impact of regulations on reporting, the voluntary nature of sustainability reporting in Australia, and the role of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). It discusses the benefits of integrated reporting, which combines financial and sustainability data, to provide a comprehensive view of an organization's performance. The report highlights how environmental considerations influence financial outcomes and future market success. It also addresses the arguments for voluntary reporting, such as the added costs of mandatory compliance and the potential for conformity. The report emphasizes the importance of comprehensive sustainability reporting, encompassing both positive and negative impacts, to ensure a balanced view of an organization's performance and its impact on the environment and stakeholders. The report stresses the importance of integrating all facets of sustainability into a single document that highlights how the organization generates value and establishes stewardship for the future.

Sustainable Business Planning and Strategy 1
SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PLANNING AND STRATEGY
Name
Code + Course Name
Professor’s Name
University Name
City, State
Date

Sustainable Business Planning and Strategy 2
Question 1
According to professor Soderstrom regulation role has significantly impacted the
voluntary action of this reporting. The law commissions have passed some legislation that
governs the industries on waste release to the environment. These laws have significantly
impacted on the industrial disclosure concerning the amount of waste to be released since
something measured can be managed. Over the years the Australian law required for all the
industries to produce reports relating to waste disposal, and this has had a tremendous effect on
the environment since waste disposal reduced to a controllable level. Environmental matters
have become a top priority to the societies, and the cooperation has been pressurized to work
according to the legislation. In any action, they take reports should be produced to certify if it is
by the law. A favorable environment has some positive impact on financial consideration for the
cooperation and the future market success.
Question 2
The main arguments why sustainability reporting should remain voluntarily in Australia
was based on the fact that, mandatory reporting will create some of the added cost on businesses
which will result to amenability mentality. Commonwealth legislation works only on the
conservational and health safety problems. However, this does not establish to sustainability
commentary framework, since it covers only specific matters. Therefore, on the issue of
additional cost on businesses, mandatory reporting will significantly add a layer of compliance
cost to many Australian companies, thus affecting its operability. Meeting compliance cost
requirements is usually high, and it increases over time thus arguably showing why this reporting
should be voluntary. Also, the issue of conformity mentality being adopted by the companies,
pose a significant risk to this companies because they go with what the council requires of them

Sustainable Business Planning and Strategy 3
at the expense of their best interest. So, this should not be the case because it will be a dangerous
move to make.
Question 3
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), on sustainability reporting, was presented to be an act
of revealing, measuring and holding the accountability of the organizational internal and external
stakeholders towards goal presentation of maintainable development. Thus, this is a shortcoming
because sustainability report is meant to provide a well-adjusted and rational representation of
the proper performance of a reporting organization that should include both positive and negative
involvement. The broad idea is that financial report should not be the first report being produced
but also the environmental performance report which should be part of the sustainability
reporting because it has an impact on the future market success.
Question 4
Since the financial reports are separate from the other reports, integrated reporting will
bring all these stories into one major report containing all these materials. And the main idea
behind this is that a single document will represent all facets of sustainability. Also, it provides a
clear and precise picture of how the organization generates value and establishes stewardship
now and in the future. Furthermore, integrated reporting will bring information substantial
together about a group supremacy, approach and prospects in a way that will show profitable,
ecological and social context within which it operates, and this will have improved the
sustainable business and its environment.