Ethical auditing of groundbreaking reporting initiative

In 2009, we became ethical auditor for Guardian News & Media (GNM) as part of a groundbreaking sustainability reporting initiative by the UK media organisation.

GNM, publishers of the Guardian and Observer national newspapers, moved most of its sustainability reporting online from 2009. It still continues to produce its well-respected Living our values annual sustainability report and to publish it in print and as an online PDF document. However, the annual report is now supplemented by frequently updated content on a new interactive website.

Two Tomorrows acts as ethical auditor of Living our values. In addition, we provide rolling assurance of content added to the supporting website. We also participate in online dialogue among site users worldwide about GNM’s sustainability performance.

We audit GNM’s annual sustainability report using the AA1000 Assurance Standard (AA1000AS). To enable a rapid response, our rolling online assurance does not use AA100AS, but is instead based on core criteria agreed with GNM and made public on its website.

Two Tomorrows has worked with GNM for several years. In 2004, we carried out an environmental audit of its printing plants and suggested actions it could take to ensure publications were printed in accordance with environmental policy. And since 2005, we have been advising the company on its sourcing of paper so it can ensure the fibre used to produce its newsprint comes from reputable sources. This role has now been absorbed into our wider assurance work.

GNM's online sustainability reporting