Sustainability professionals are under growing pressure to demonstrate credible progress. Organisations are expected to report more, disclose more and communicate more clearly about their social and environmental impact. Yet greater transparency does not automatically generate greater trust. In many cases, it also makes companies more visible, more comparable and more exposed to scrutiny from regulators, investors, NGOs, customers, employees and the media.
Why transparency and reporting do not automatically create trust
As sustainability reporting requirements continue to expand, organisations face increasing expectations from a wide range of stakeholders. While reporting frameworks and disclosure standards can strengthen accountability, they also raise important questions about credibility, stakeholder expectations and the strategic choices organisations make when communicating sustainability performance.
In this webinar, we explore why reporting can create pressure as well as reassurance, how stakeholders assess sustainability claims, and where organisations still have room to act strategically. We examine the opportunities and limitations of transparency and discuss how businesses can communicate sustainability efforts in a way that is both honest and credible.
Practical insights from academic experts
Most importantly, this inspiration session focuses on how sustainability professionals can move beyond compliance. Rather than treating reporting as a box-ticking exercise, organisations can use sustainability reporting to strengthen internal decision-making, communicate more openly about trade-offs and limitations, and support meaningful organisational change.
Through the conversation between Willem Elbers and Julia Bartosch, participants will gain insights into the evolving role of sustainability professionals and the challenges of maintaining credibility in an increasingly scrutinised environment.
What will you take away?
- Insight into the relationship between sustainability reporting, transparency and trust
- A better understanding of how stakeholders evaluate sustainability claims
- Practical perspectives on building credibility in corporate sustainability
- New ideas for using reporting to support better internal decision-making
- Strategies for communicating trade-offs and limitations more effectively
- Inspiration for moving beyond compliance and creating meaningful impact
Who is this webinar for?
- Sustainability professionals and sustainability managers
- ESG, CSR and impact professionals
- Corporate affairs and communications professionals
- Business leaders and decision-makers
- Policy advisors and public affairs professionals
- Consultants working in sustainability, ESG and organisational change
Practical information
- Date: Wednesday 17 September 2026
- Time: 12:00–13:00u (CEST)
- Speaker: Dr. Julia Bartosch,
- Interviewer: Dr. Willem Elbers
- Location: Online
- Cost: Free
About the speakers
Dr Julia Bartosch is Assistant Professor at Nijmegen School of Management, Radboud University. Her research focuses on the relationship between business and society, with a particular interest in corporate sustainability, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and business ethics. Julia studies how organisations respond to growing sustainability expectations and stakeholder demands, combining insights from organisational theory, institutional theory and economic sociology to understand what drives credible and meaningful sustainability action.
Dr Willem Elbers is programme director of the Master's in Global Challenges at Radboud University. Willem works on driving sustainable change through strong partnerships and community building. He supports organisations across sectors in collaborating effectively around complex societal challenges and explores how collective action can contribute to addressing global sustainability issues and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).