Five Common Sustainability Reporting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them in New Zealand

With New Zealand now leading globally through mandatory climate-related disclosures, the pressure on organisations to deliver robust sustainability reports has never been greater. However, many still fall into avoidable traps — from compliance tunnel vision to culturally disconnected reporting. Here are five common mistakes Kiwi businesses make and how to avoid them with clarity and credibility.

1. Treating Reporting as a Box-Ticking Exercise

Too often, organisations treat sustainability reporting as a compliance obligation rather than a strategic communication opportunity. This results in surface-level disclosures that satisfy regulators but fail to resonate with stakeholders or inform decision-making.

Avoid it:

Go beyond compliance by embedding sustainability principles into business strategy and operations. Use the report to show how your sustainability priorities are influencing decisions, shaping culture, and driving performance. With Speeki’s programme builder, you can design and manage initiatives that feed directly into reporting — from climate actions to human rights due diligence.

2. Ignoring Cultural and Social Contexts

Sustainability in Aotearoa is inherently tied to Māori values and community voice. Failing to reflect these elements can weaken trust and miss opportunities to engage stakeholders meaningfully.

Avoid it:

Ensure reporting includes cultural indicators and acknowledges concepts such as kaitiakitanga (guardianship), manaakitanga (care and hospitality), and whanaungatanga (relationships). Frameworks like He Tauira provide guidance for incorporating Māori worldviews into reporting. Speeki’s stakeholder engagement tools, including ready-made templates and feedback forms, make it easier to collect inclusive, community-aligned insights.

3. Not Preparing for Limited Assurance

As the XRB transitions towards requiring limited assurance over climate disclosures — including Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions — many organisations are unprepared. Poor data quality, weak documentation, or lack of internal controls can lead to failed audits and reputational risk.

Avoid it:

Start building a foundation for assurance now. Speeki supports structured data collection, audit trails, and document versioning to ensure all disclosures are traceable and verifiable. Our tools also help maintain readiness across evolving standards like NZ CS 1–3 and IFRS S1 and S2.

4. Focusing Only on Climate and Ignoring Broader Sustainability Risks

While climate-related reporting is mandatory, stakeholders increasingly expect transparency across a wider ESG spectrum — including human rights, bribery and corruption, whistleblowing, and diversity.

Avoid it:

Take a holistic approach. With Speeki, you can develop integrated programmes that span key risk areas, align with emerging legislation (like the Modern Slavery and Worker Exploitation Bill), and demonstrate a commitment to sustainable governance beyond emissions. This makes your reporting more complete, stakeholder-relevant, and future-proof.

5. Failing to Close the Feedback Loop

A report shouldn’t be the end of the conversation. Too many organisations publish once a year, then fall silent — missing the opportunity to engage stakeholders, adjust strategy, or build trust.

Avoid it:

Use reporting as a two-way engagement tool. Speeki enables you to send stakeholder surveys, run feedback campaigns, and track awareness or sentiment over time. With Pulse and Collect, organisations can identify what matters most to their stakeholders and show how that input shapes future initiatives.

How Speeki Can Help

Speeki empowers New Zealand businesses to move beyond the basics of sustainability reporting by:

• Embedding sustainability into operations through modular programme design
• Incorporating culturally inclusive insights and Māori frameworks
• Establishing audit-ready controls and documentation for climate assurance
• Addressing a full range of ESG risks with guided programme tools
• Enabling continuous dialogue and transparent progress tracking with stakeholders

With Speeki, reporting becomes not just a requirement — but a strategic, stakeholder-driven asset.

References

1. External Reporting Board (XRB) – Climate-related Disclosure Standards
2. https://www.xrb.govt.nz/standards/climate-related-disclosures/
3. Ministry for the Environment – New Zealand’s Emissions Reduction Plan
4. https://environment.govt.nz/publications/aotearoa-new-zealands-first-emissions-reduction-plan/
5. Te Puni Kōkiri – He Tauira: Sustainability Reporting Framework for Māori Businesses
6. https://www.tpk.govt.nz/en/a-matou-mohiotanga/enterprise/he-tauira-sustainability-reporting-framework
7. IFRS – IFRS S1 and S2 Sustainability Disclosure Standards
8. https://www.ifrs.org/sustainability/
9. GRI – Common Reporting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
10. https://www.globalreporting.org/