© Ann Goodman 2012

At the GreenBiz Forum in New York City last week, Ernst & Young offered a preview of fall 2011 survey results of sustainability program and reporting trends at leading companies in 24 sectors. Of the more than 270 respondents, 85 percent are based in the U.S.

The session, led by E&Y assurance and sustainability and climate change practice experts, highlighted six trends:

1. A rise in sustainability reporting;
2. An increase in the CFO’s sustainability role;
3. The emergence of employees as a key sustainability stakeholder force;
4. Strong reporting on greenhouse gas emissions and mounting reporting on water use — despite regulatory uncertainty;
5. Growing concern about access to raw materials (including so-called conflict minerals) as a business supply chain issue;
6. Special attention to outside rankings and ratings on the part of corporate executives.

What the Trends Mean… read more, first posted on January 30, 2012, on Ann Goodman’s blog on GreenBiz