2024 Works Design Trends Summary
Tracking the Evolution of Sustainability Reporting and Communications
Sustainability communications are evolving – and in the last few years, as they deal with challenges ranging from climate change to the ongoing impact of a global pandemic, companies worldwide are working to change and improve how they manage, engage and report. A “survival of the fittest” competition for stakeholder engagement and support drives organizations to learn, discuss, collaborate and evolve. Companies can widen their influence and increase their impact by visibly embracing their purpose and managing and measuring what matters. Explore the latest trends and learn how leading companies’ sustainability ambitions go beyond simple compliance and are delivering results that can help shape a better world.
Welcome
Thank you for your interest in and support of Works Design’s annual research on trends and best practices in sustainability communications and reporting.
In 13 years, we’ve noted significant changes in the space, including increasing demands from regulators, coordinated action from standards setters, heightened interest and activism from investors and customers, and growing expectations from communities for honesty, transparency and vision.
Sustainability communications are evolving, which has important implications for organizations seeking to tell their sustainability story and connect with others.
Companies must continue advancing sustainability by identifying challenges and opportunities, connecting with stakeholders and pursuing those opportunities to meaningfully impact society, the environment and their value chains. One evolution that can help separate incremental approaches from bold goals and outcomes is to establish a social purpose that can guide a company’s people and partners toward genuine progress.
We’re pleased to share our research, and to show how the sustainability communications landscape is changing. And we are grateful for the chance to share our thoughts about practices and beliefs that can bring us closer to creating a connected, caring and inclusive society.
Methodology
The Works Design team reviews primary sustainability publications (including sustainability, annual and integrated reports) and related content on each company’s corporate website as well as their social media channels. We track content-, design- and user experience-related metrics and log our findings into a database that allows us to identify trends and best practices, which we’ve tracked annually for the past 13 years.
Insight
As sustainability reporting matures, expands and evolves, we want to help companies communicate more effectively and with greater purpose by providing actionable insights and observations from 13 years of rigorous research. Our research sample encompasses reports, websites and social media from a global sample of companies drawn from diverse industry sectors. This year, we broadened our lens on social purpose by adopting metrics from The Canadian Purpose Economy Project (CPEP) Disclosing with Purpose guide. In some cases, we look at reports produced by our agency, in which case the page is marked as follows:
Sectors Covered
What We Look For
Information
What are stakeholders looking for in content, and how are reporters adapting to evolving global reporting standards and changing stakeholder expectations?
Approach
What are the most effective ways to combine engaging leadership perspectives, relatable storytelling, and meaningful metrics and targets to improve performance-driven communications?
Impact
How are companies capitalizing on sustainability communications to strengthen their organization, engage their people, connect with their stakeholders and improve their outcomes and impact?
Our Research Themes
For 13 years, we’ve examined and reported on trends in sustainability reporting and communications, and as an agency, we’ve been deeply engaged with our clients, leading think tanks and institutions, and diverse communities of practice for much longer than that. As an early mover in the sustainability space, we’ve seen and supported companies in their efforts to determine what’s material, establish ambitious strategies, identify new and effective communications approaches, and frame stories to raise awareness and drive change. Our Trends research has helped organizations adapt, elevate and bring a sense of purpose to a space that continues to evolve.
Telling your story with purpose
Through their sustainability reporting, purpose-driven companies can demonstrate how their social ambition leads them to contribute to a better world beyond producing returns for investors. In a time of heightened skepticism and increased expectations, embodied in Bill C-59, effective reporters are committed to clarity, to showing their impact and to changing minds.
Telus
2023 Sustainability and ESG Report
TELUS has a distinct social purpose (making the future friendly) that aligns with its principles of social capitalism and its strategic priorities and goals.
Hudbay
2023 Integrated Annual Report
Hudbay’s purpose defines the way it approaches the world. Defined through a process that secured input from across the organization, its creation is the subject of a lead feature in the company’s integrated report.
Leadership and Governance
Best-practice companies show how governance – driven by purpose and encompassing risk and strategy – has evolved to empower sustainability in their organizations. Their approach creates internal sustainability champions who embody the companies’ commitment, building trust with authenticity and silencing critics with credibility.
Sun Life
Sustainability Report 2023
Over a two-page spread, Sun Life connects its purpose and sustainability in an infographic that presents its sustainability pillars, provides a sustainability timeline and shows its progress to date.
EDC
2023 Climate-Related Disclosure and 2023 Human Rights Report
EDC visualizes governance of matters related to climate (left) and human rights (right). Text that would otherwise take the reader time to sift is made digestible by leveraging an illustration. This content-rich illustrative approach makes very complex information easy to understand by categorizing internal and external stakeholders and outlining their responsibilities.
What Matters Most
The concept of materiality is now well beyond its origins in profit and loss. Companies need to understand and show how they are impacted by changing forces, and how, in turn, they adapt and respond in a way that has a positive impact on the world. Powered by the knowledge of what matters, companies can make tough choices aligned with their strategy and their purpose.
Holt Renfrew
2023 Sustainability Report
In Holt Renfrew’s inaugural report, the company describes its approach and outcomes from a double materiality assessment, aligned with its high-level priorities.
KRUGER PRODUCTS
2023 Sustainability Report
Kruger Products describes the megatrends affecting the company, including how they present potential risks and opportunities, and how Kruger is addressing them.
Frameworks
The leading reporting frameworks – including GRI, ISSB and CSRD – are becoming increasingly aligned and interoperable, allowing stakeholders to better compare “apples to apples” on organizational sustainability performance. This evolution will increase expectations around – and the importance of – comprehensive, credible disclosure.
MONDI GROUP
UN Sustainable Development Goals Index 2023
Mondi publishes a separate SDG index indicating its contributions to the SDGs, aligned at the target level. The company identifies how SDGs tie into its MAP2030 framework. Within the index, Mondi maps to where information can be found – linking to sections of its sustainability report that highlight performance and to relevant case studies.
AECON
2023 Sustainability Report
Aecon provides a summary of its progress to align with IFRS S2, describing quantitative and qualitative highlights, and includes a table combining disclosures to IFRS S1 and S2, TCFD and TNFD.
Targets and Performance
Companies that are committed to sustainability recognize that there is strength in numbers and are disclosing their collaboration efforts, expectations and outcomes with upstream and downstream supply chain partners.
SMURFIT KAPPA
Sustainable Development Report 2023
Smurfit depicts its sustainability commitments by key categories (climate change, forest, water, waste, health & safety, people, communities), targets and progress metrics and links them to sustainability strategies and SDG goals.
SCOTIABANK
2023 ESG Report
Scotiabank includes its short-, medium- and long-term climate goals connected to its financing, its own emissions and its net zero goals, supported by enterprise-wide tools and initiatives.
Communications Toolbox
Since reports aren’t always exciting on their own, leading companies are connecting content to engaging videos and other interactive assets to improve their reach and ability to educate and influence.
BT GROUP
Annual Report 2023
BT Group’s microsite effectively showcases top-level highlights, stories and CEO messaging. Dynamic and highly visual, it presents content in an engaging and immersive way. The site uses motion design, interactivity and dynamic data visualization, making it an excellent companion to a comprehensive PDF report.
NOVARTIS
Integrated Report 2023
Novartis has a very unique, patient-centred approach to storytelling. Its report features descriptive photo captions with patient names and links to touching stories on the web.
Digital Strategies
Companies are elevating their reports beyond simple launch-day posts. They keep the stories, themes and outcomes from their reports on trend year-round, making the most out of this work by continually sharing posts, articles, videos and more on social media platforms and their websites.
Newmont
More Than Gold
Newmont showcases its report theme across its website and social platforms, including in its LinkedIn Life and social posts. By using visuals such as the sustainability report cover, content pieces including Leadership Reflections videos and a report-branded hashtag (#NewmontMoreThanGold), the company creates audience familiarity with its report theme and builds an understanding of what it means.
CISCO
The Power of Purpose
Cisco is clear about its purpose – to power an inclusive future for all – across all that it does. This includes its FY23 purpose report, The Power of Purpose. Cisco ensures consistency in messaging and creates audience awareness of its efforts to reach sustainability goals by carrying this messaging across its website, blog and social media.
Collaborate
Works Design’s annual Trends presentation is a studio-wide initiative that draws on the skills of our entire team. Our research is conducted by a talented and diverse group of writers, designers, digital developers, and social media and sustainability specialists. Drawing on their capabilities, we can provide our clients and other stakeholders with data-backed global insights into the evolving sustainability reporting landscape.
Erica Campbell
Sustainability Analyst
Melissa Suarez
Sustainability Analyst
Rachel Gruber
Social Media Specialist
Remston Martis
Sustainability Analyst
Philip Marriott
Senior Designer
Wesley Gee
Chief Sustainability Officer and Principal
Chris Chlasciak
Art Director
Nisha Kulangara
Sustainability Analyst
Pearl Maguire
Social Media Manager
Tayler Michaelson
Project Manager
Eric Johnson
Strategic Communications Director
Michael Tomasone
Marketing Manager
Brooke Drake
Project Manager
Works Design is an integrated design studio and communications agency with a highly regarded sustainability practice. We’re a pioneer in sustainability and corporate communications. For over 35 years, we’ve helped companies deliver engaging brand narratives, reporting and digital communications by providing a unique setting where great design, subject-matter expertise and sustainability strategy all intersect. Based in Canada, we serve clients across North America, South America, Europe and Australia.
We can happily provide a version of our Trends research tailored to your organization’s needs. Please get in touch to find out more about our services, and to discuss how we can support your organization.
