Awareness, Economic Empowerment & Entrepreneurship
Integrated Reporting & Assurance Services (IRAS)
Jun
Integrated Reporting & Assurance Services (IRAS) conducts an annual review of sustainability performance data transparency among the entire population of JSE listed companies. The goal is to remind companies that “sustainability” can only be demonstrated through measured activities, such that their stakeholders can only understand whether the company is contributing to, or helping avoid, climate change (among other topics), remembering the old adage of “That which is not measured is not managed.”
Michael H Rea
Among the 284 data points IRAS looks for in annual reports, one is of particular interest to the research team: The Disabled Persons Rate (DPR), which is calculated by dividing the number of disabled employees by the total number of employees as of the last day of the company’s annual reporting period.
The primary goal is to celebrate excellence, and to say, “Thank You!”, even though IRAS is not directly affected by a company’s commitment to training and/or employing disabled persons. IRAS is simply interested in learning about the many wonderful initiatives deployed by companies to have a positive impact on the 87% Disabled Persons Unemployment Rate in South Africa, and IRAS hopes that by sharing what the team learns with others, new opportunities will arise as more companies learn from true industry leaders such as African Media Entertainment, AfroCentric, Alexander Forbes, Araxi, Astral Foods, Attacq, Calgro M3, Clicks, enX, Famous Brands, First Rand, Master Drilling, Netcare, Sanlam & Santam and Santova Logistics (among many others).
At IRAS, we believe it’s important to remember that one shouldn’t necessarily attempt to change the world, but rather attempt to change one person’s world, because if everyone who had the ability to help one person did so, ours would be a much more wonderful world to live in. Our DPR research in partnership with the NCPD is one way in which we hope to help others change at least one person’s world.