The opening of the Amsterdam stock exchange Euronext on 27 June was devoted to non-financial reporting. An increasing number of parties acknowledge the importance of, and are actively pursuing, integrated reporting. Integrated reports focus not only on financial results, but also on a company’s performance in areas such as sustainability, governance, diversity, privacy and the environment. To emphasise the growing interest in non-financial reporting, Tjeerd Krumpelman (Head of Business Advisory, Reporting & Stakeholder Management at ABN AMRO) and Nick de Ruiter (partner at CSR advisory Sustainalize) conducted the traditional opening of trading.

Besides Sustainalize and ABN AMRO, representatives from other organisations active in reporting non-financial information attended the opening. This includes delegates from the Global Reporting Initiative, the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), Eumedion and the Dutch Association for Investors in Sustainable Development (VBDO). The Ministry of Economic Affairs, responsible for the annual Transparency Benchmark, will also be present. A full list of parties that attended the opening gong ceremony is provided at the bottom of this press release.

Growing demand among stakeholders

Nick de Ruiter, partner at Sustainalize: ‘Hundreds of Dutch companies and organisations now publish an annual report featuring their non-financial performance. This is good news, as it means they are responding to the growing demand of society, shareholders and investors. Organisations and companies that do not share their non-financial information would do well to do so. European research shows that companies that focus on the relevant environment, social and governance criteria produce better returns than their sector peers.’

Creating value for society

Tjeerd Krumpelman, Head of Business Advisory, Reporting & Stakeholder Management at ABN AMRO: ‘The process of creating an annual report works like a management tool: it raises questions, introduces discipline, gives insight and makes clear what steps need to be taken. We consider financial results and non-financial value to be equally important, as we are striving to create sustainable value for all our stakeholders. Our integrated reporting helps make this value transparent.’

GRI anniversary

This year European legislation came into force that requires listed companies to report their non-financial information in board reports. To meet this requirement, many companies adhere to the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). GRI is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2017. Fifteen years ago, the organisation’s international secretariat was established in Amsterdam. Since then it has organised an annual seminar, which this year will be held on 30 June in ABN AMRO’s Circl, the bank’s new, circular pavilion. This year’s theme is ‘Trends and practices in non-financial reporting’. More than 125 representatives from the business world have already registered for the event.

Attending the opening of trading

The opening ceremony was attended by Nick de Ruiter (partner at Sustainalize), Tjeerd Krumpelman (Head of Business Advisory, Reporting & Stakeholder Management at ABN AMRO), Folkert van der Molen (Marketing Manager at Sustainalize), Herma van der Laarse (Sustainability Reporting Specialist at ABN AMRO), Louise Vytopil (Attorney-at-Law at Rutgers & Posch), Paul Hurks (Manager of International Accountancy Coordination at the Royal Netherlands Institute of Chartered Accountants), Enrique Torres (IIRC representative), Daan Spaargaren (Sustainability and Responsible Investment Expert at Eumedion), Angélique Laskewitz (Director of VBDO), Arnoud van Vliet (Manager CSR & Quality at Zeeman), Jelle Wils (Advisor Corporate and Financial Communication at Alliander), Jan-Willem Vosmeer (Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Heineken), Sabine Content (Deputy Director of Corporate & Stakeholder Relations at Global Reporting Initiative) and Rob Overkleeft (project manager at Ministry of Economic Affairs/Transparency Benchmark).