Our approach to reporting
In 2015/16 we have continued to improve our approach to social responsibility and sustainability reporting, ensuring we report on those issues that are of most importance to our stakeholders.
Over the last year we have supported the University’s efforts to align the Annual Report and Accounts to the International Integrated Reporting Framework. The financial year 2015/16 was the first year the University reported under the new Financial Reporting Standard 102 (FRS 102) which came in to effect on 1st August 2015.
Social responsibility and sustainability issues are reported throughout the Annual Report and Accounts, including in the Principal’s Foreword and Operational Review sections. This is the third year that we have reported progress on social responsibility and sustainability issues in this report.
We have continued for this year to produce a more detailed stand-alone online report and a four page highlights report supporting efforts to engage with our diverse range of stakeholders.
We have taken the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) as a starting point to guide us on our reporting journey. The GRI Guidelines provides organisations with a framework to report on environmental, social and economic issues that are most important to their stakeholders and is the most widely used international framework for sustainability reporting, using globally agreed metrics.
As a world leading university with a mission to facilitate the creation, dissemination and curation of knowledge we will have some different issues to report on in relation to social responsibility and sustainability than organisations outside of the higher education sector.
While this report is not seeking to be ‘in accordance’ with the GRI Guidelines it is seeking to keep the content focused on material aspects that are important to our stakeholders.