A key challenge is how to track progress towards sustainability and communicate it to employees and other stakeholders. 1 Reporting on social and environmental performance, in addition to the traditional economic performance, is becoming increasingly common among those organizations and institutions that are striving for open and accountable governance. By increasing transparency and engaging with stakeholders in the organization or institution, such organizations are better able to manage uncertainty and walk a clearer path towards sustainability. York University has been reporting on its environmental sustainability performance since 2002 by including its sustainability report within its annual accountability report. To read these, visit the Presidential Initiatives and Publications page.
In the future, the University is considering setting benchmark figures to help guide the sustainability process and set targets and goals. They might also consider reporting on social performance as social accounting and reporting can:
- Reinforce and communicate core values and visions
- Pinpoint high-risk activities requiring sound management
- Protect organizations from unexpected shocks
- Help organizations explore and understand stakeholder concerns and interests
- Help organizations understand how to manage 'intangibles' such as reputation and trust
- Provide a credible means of communicating with stakeholders
- Help organizations attract, understand, motivate and retain employees in growing knowledge economy. 2
Campus Sustainability Assessment Framework
To learn about other Canadian university sustainability reports and advances, visit our list of Canadian Campus Web sites.
