PwC - CSR TRENDS 2010

CSR Trends 2010 is the fourth comprehensive survey of corporate social responsibility reporting trends, benchmarks and best practices. This research was conducted jointly by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Sustainable Business Solutions practice and Craib Design & Communications, a group of communications consultants with decades of experience in corporate and investor communications. This report is divided into five chapters: Focus; Credibility; Context; Performance; and Accessibility.

PwC - Corporate Reporting Framework

The insights gained from a global research program have been codified into PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) corporate reporting framework. The framework identifies four broad categories of information that all industries and companies share in common: market overview; strategy and structure; managing for value; and performance. All are underpinned by relevant performance measures. Each category encompasses specific elements that, according to the research, both companies and investors consider critical to assessing performance. (Learn more about the PwC Corporate Reporting Framework and download the Framework in Detail.)

CICA/IFRS Foundation Conference - IFRS in North America 2010

The CICA/IFRS Foundation Conference - IFRS in North America 2010 will be held on November 23-24, 2010 (optional sessions November 22) at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Canada. As the deadline for IFRS adoption looms, this informative two-day event, with optional workshops, is crucial for anyone involved in financial reporting with an organization that is moving to IFRS. It is a unique opportunity to hear the latest IFRS developments directly from the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), the Canadian Accounting Standards Board (AcSB) and the US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The most recent regulatory developments from Canada and the US will also be presented.

Chartered Accountants of Canada - Corporate Reporting Awards 2010

The Chartered Accountants of Canada - Corporate Reporting Awards showcase the best corporate reporting models in Canada, help Canadian companies improve their reporting and recognize leaders in the areas of financial reporting, electronic disclosure, corporate governance disclosure and sustainable development reporting. Attend the 2010 Corporate Reporting Awards luncheon and see examples of the best reporting models in Canada. The Awards will be presented on Thursday, November 25, 2010 from noon to 2 pm at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building. Take your place among Canada’s business elite.

IFRS Readiness in Canada 2010

The Canadian Financial Executives Research Foundation (CFERF) has issued the third installment of its IFRS Readiness in Canada series. This study, IFRS Readiness in Canada 2010,  found that in their four-month race to convert to IFRS, small and medium-sized companies are not as far along in their conversions as large companies. One worrisome find was that nearly one in three companies with revenues of less than $49 million said they did not have the resources required to implement the conversion. As of the spring of 2010, only half of public companies were 60% of the way along the conversion project. The research study is sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

H&H Webranking: Does your website measure up?

Reviewing more than 730 European corporate websites and making more than 300 best practice examples available each year, H&H Webranking provides published and respected benchmarks for corporate communications on the Web. It reports on how to improve corporate websites. With the additional interest in social media and search, the shape of corporate communications is irresistibly evolving into a more complex phenomenon.

Annual Report on Annual Reports 2010

Corporate reporting is, more than ever, a delicate balance between current shareholders and potential investors, freedom of speech (not less) and compliance (mandatory), substance and style, stockholders and other stakeholders, content and appeal, thoroughness and brevity, information (overload) and communication (overuse), printed and electronic reporting tools, the talk and the walk. To learn more, read the Annual Report on Annual Reports 2010 by ReportWatch online.

IBM Global CFO Study 2010

The 2010 IBM Global CFO Study – involving more than 1,900 CFOs and senior Finance leaders worldwide – provides the largest window into the CFO mindset during the worst economic downturn in decades. Surprisingly, cost reduction was not at the top of their agenda. Instead, CFOs ranked "providing inputs into enterprise strategy" as most important. CFOs told us their role as strategic advisor is broader and more important than ever. More than 70 percent play a critical role in enterprise risk mitigation, business model innovation and selection of the key metrics linking performance to strategy execution. The pressure to help the business make all manner of decisions better, faster and with more certainty is intense. Read The New Value Integrator: Insights from the IBM Global Chief Financial Officer Study.

The top 10 risks for business 2010

In today’s business environment, conditions remain challenging for many, and risk retains its position high on every organization’s agenda. Businesses themselves are changing, which brings new risk horizons and, at the same time, they are grappling with the changes brought about by a post-downturn economy. The ability to anticipate threats, respond and continually adapt is as critical a part of the risk management process as it ever has been. The Ernst & Young Business Risk Report 2010 is part of an ongoing conversation about business risk — a conversation that has been taking place for several years, asking the question: How frequently are companies scanning their horizons and with what scope?

The Audit Committee Journey 2010

KPMG and the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) have released their 2010 public company audit committee survey. The purpose of the study, called The Audit Committee Journey, was to gain a perspective on audit committee issues from outside the boardroom. CEOs, chief internal auditors, controllers and others in management were surveyed. Their insights may help audit committees solidify their own views, enhance dialogue with management and shape future agendas. Risk management, uncertainty and financial statement issues are top concerns for audit committees in the year ahead. The developing issues of sustainability/corporate social responsibility, social media networks and IFRS may require more immediate consideration.

Carbon Management: Critical Issues For Strategic Finance

In September 2010, the Canadian Financial Executives Research Foundation (CFERF) issued a report on Carbon Management: Critical Issues For Strategic Finance. It covers a survey of senior finance executives from public and private companies and obtains insights through an executive research forum. The study revealed increased board participation in carbon management and reporting. The level of board involvement is reportedly higher in heavy-carbon emitting firms, where 25% reported that board involvement resulted in the development of a structured emissions management and reporting plan. The study also found that the statutory and regulatory actions taking shape in Canada have the potential to significantly impact the operations of Canadian organizations. In fact, 33% of heavy emitting companies surveyed said they expect the legislation to influence shareholders’ demands for improved carbon management and reporting. While the strategic impact of carbon use on the overall sustainability of organizations seems to be well established across the business community, 54% of public companies surveyed were not at all familiar with Ontario Securities Commission regulations that relate to carbon emissions.

Sustainability in Business Today

A recent study by Deloitte surveyed leading executives across five industry sectors: automotive, consumer products, process and industrial, technology and telecommunications. The objective was to paint a general picture of sustainability activity and to gather their views on several sustainability-related issues, including the way they define sustainability and their speculations on the future of sustainability in business. The vast majority reported that their sustainability priorities were at least partially aligned with their companies’ priorities. Two-thirds indicated that sustainability would have an impact on their overall business model. Read the June 2010 Deloitte study Sustainability in Business Today: A Cross-Industry View.

Internet Usage in New Zealand

New Zealand is also involved in the World Internet Project. AUT University, with support from the National Library of New Zealand and from InternetNZ, conducted its first survey in 2007, with the most recent data from 2009. The New Zealand World Internet Project 2010 surveyed more than 1200 people aged 12 years old and older about their Internet use. The survey found that most New Zealanders are increasingly using the Internet for activities such as social networking, buying and selling goods online, Internet banking, accessing information, learning and entertainment.