The role of sustainability reporting in promoting sustainable business practices in South Africa. Are we winning?

The rise of private and public organisations that are concerned with maximising profit is regarded as one of the causes of numerous sustainability challenges facing the world.The perfect situation would be if both private and public players were to conduct themselves with due care for the environment voluntarily, thus avoiding the need for enforcement of the legislative requirements.In South Africa, sustainability reporting of listed firms and State-owned enterprises are practical examples of measures being implemented for promoting sustainable development.However for sustainable practices to take root, sustainable leadership is a cornerstone.The growth of these practices compliments the conventional administrative and criminal measures used by authorities to force private and public firms into compliance with environmental standards and requirements.This presentation is framed within the stakeholder theoretical framework.