Environmental disclosure 'sound corporate governance'

Companies are increasingly realising that disclosing information on their environmental activities 'is part of sound corporate governance,' BP's company secretary has said.

Speaking at the launch of a new guide for businesses setting out the benefits of improving their environmental performances, David Jackson, BP's company secretary said that 'companies are now recognising that transparency over material non-financial information is part of sound corporate governance.'

Oliver Guize, chief executive of Bureau Veritas, which helped produce the guide, added: 'we urge more companies to not only manage their environmental compliance issues but to think innovatively to promote activities that bring simultaneous economic, social and environmental benefits.'

The report is due to be released today, and will be available to download from the Business in the Community website.

Titled Looking Back, Moving Forward: Building the Business Case for Environmental Improvement. It includes ten years of data from BitC on the management of environmental issues as well as case studies from Bureau Veritas, BP, Carillion and Provident Financial on best practice and financial gain.

Attached to the guide is the Environment Index 2005 report, outlining the environmental performance of companies, sponsored by the Energy Saving Trust