SAP's sustainability report card out

MUMBAI, INDIA: The new SAP Sustainability Report, is claimed to have moved miles away from the static and the ordinary. SAP’s innovative Web-based report, which achieved an A+ rating from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), is unique because it allows readers to drill into SAP’s sustainability performance information and invites them to participate in discussions of the company’s sustainability efforts and strategies, says a press release.

True to its Sustainability commitment and unlike the one-way reporting vehicle that is the norm, the SAP Sustainability Report encourages stakeholders including investors, customers, partners, employees and the public to engage in a clear, transparent and fruitful sustainability conversation with SAP and one another. 
Innovative features of SAP’s report include embedded analytics that allow stakeholders to delve into SAP’s sustainability metrics and performance; for example, SAP’s reduction of its carbon footprint by 15 per cent in 2009, well above target. It also has a revised sustainability map that helps stakeholders understand how SAP solutions help line-of-business managers deliver on the business case for sustainability. It has a materiality matrix where stakeholders can rate how important they think specific areas of sustainability are and how those areas might impact SAP’s business.

Tight integration with social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook directly within the report allow readers to engage in a dialogue with SAP and one another.

SAP measured, monitored and reported its sustainability performance using data sourced from SAP solutions, including the SAP Carbon Impact on-demand solution, the SAP BusinessObjects Sustainability Performance Management application and SAP BusinessObjects Explorer software.

Xcelsius software was used to build the interactive dashboards in the report. Responding to stakeholders’ demands for increased transparency, the technology will allow SAP to report on sustainability metrics like its carbon footprint on a quarterly basis rather than the usual annual cycle.

“SAP has yet again proven its thought leadership and ability to innovate with this new Sustainability Report. Interactivity and community engagement is the way forward as it allows us to gather continual feedback from all stakeholders on our initiatives and performance. We are excited about helping our customers to breathe life into their sustainability reporting, as we see this inevitable trend becoming increasingly material to a responsible business’ strategy,” said Steve Watts, President, SAP Asia Pacific Japan.
The SAP Sustainability Report clearly illustrates the company’s sustainability commitment. It also shows that sustainability has a sound business case and can pay significant returns to businesses. 

The new report format showcases how SAP solutions can help organizations provide broad, deep and timely insight into their sustainability performance. SAP and its partners CSC and Deloitte have services offerings designed to help customers take sustainability reporting to a higher level.