BrownFlynn and the Institute for Sustainable Development Release Report Findings From Landmark Stakeholder Engagement and Sustainability Survey

CLEVELAND, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- BrownFlynn (www.brownflynn.com), leaders in corporate responsibility and sustainability, announced earlier today that they will soon release the results of a report on the importance of stakeholder engagement in developing an organization's sustainability strategy.    

BrownFlynn partnered with the Institute for Sustainable Development -- a nonprofit partnering with academic institutions UNC, Duke University and Elon University and chambers of commerce -- to conduct a multi-level survey this past summer. Responses from almost 200 business and civic leaders gave basis for the report that reveals how various organizations and companies value and practice stakeholder engagement, and how it impacts their sustainability efforts.

Sample Report Findings:

• Businesses engaging stakeholders more often have more sustainability practices in place – a finding that indicates an inextricable linkage between stakeholder engagement and sustainability.

• Better understanding of the marketplace, fostering goodwill, building relationships and learning the priorities and needs of stakeholders were the most important reasons reported for both engaging stakeholders generally and engaging stakeholders specifically around sustainability.

• For both general engagement and engagement around sustainability, businesses considered customers, employees and communities to be the most important stakeholder groups.

BrownFlynn Principal and Co-Owner Barb Brown states, "We are excited about the report findings because they show the value of stakeholder engagement to sustainability. The more companies engage their stakeholders, the more sustainability strategies they have, which means the more those companies can leverage and measure their environmental, social and economic performance."

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the world's most widely recognized sustainability reporting framework, agrees that stakeholder engagement is a primary step in the evolution of a successful sustainability strategy.

BrownFlynn hopes this report and its findings will assist in educating companies on the benefits of GRI, not only for reporting, but as a change management tool.  

About BrownFlynn and BrownFlynn Learning

BrownFlynn is a corporate responsibility and sustainability consulting firm. We partner with clients to integrate environmentally and socially responsible practices into their business strategies and help them communicate those messages internally and externally, creating a cultural shift that results in bottom-line impact. Visit www.brownflynn.com for service offerings, case studies and our sustainability resource center.

In 2008, BrownFlynn was named the first U.S. certified trainer for GRI, the international "gold standard" for sustainability management and reporting. This resulted in the launch of BrownFlynn Learning -- the Firm's corporate sustainability education and training division. BrownFlynn Learning teaches companies how to triple their bottom line -- environmentally, socially and economically -- through workshops, webinars, on-site training, conferences and other venues.

Visit www.brownflynnlearning.com for more information.

About The Institute for Sustainable Development

The Institute for Sustainable Development is a non-profit partnership of academic and business leaders whose mission is to democratize sustainability, providing practical, affordable, high quality sustainability expertise to smaller enterprises and their communities. Through its Green Plus™ program, the Institute connects small businesses and non-profits with university expertise and a network of peers throughout North America. Organizations demonstrating exceptional triple bottom line sustainability may also earn Green Plus Certification™, a designation to distinguish themselves with their communities and customers.

To learn more, please visit www.gogreenplus.org.

SOURCE BrownFlynn