The International <IR> Framework

The release of the International Integrated Reporting (<IR>) Framework, follows a three-month global consultation led by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) earlier this year, which elicited over 350 responses from every region in the world, the overwhelming majority of which expressed support for <IR>.

The Framework will be used to accelerate the adoption of <IR> across the world, where it is currently being trialled in over 25 countries, 16 of which are members of the G20, the group of nations focused on strengthening the global economy.

<IR> is a process founded on integrated thinking that results in a periodic integrated report by an organization about value creation over time and related communications regarding aspects of value creation.

An integrated report is a concise communication about how an organization’s strategy, governance, performance and prospects, in the context of its external environment, lead to the creation of value in the short, medium and long term.

<IR> aims to:

• Improve the quality of information available to providers of financial capital to enable a more efficient and productive allocation of capital
• Promote a more cohesive and efficient approach to corporate reporting that draws on different reporting strands and communicates the full range of factors that materially affect the ability of an organization to create value over time
• Enhance accountability and stewardship for the broad base of capitals (financial, manufactured, intellectual, human, social and relationship, and natural) and promote understanding of their interdependencies
• Support integrated thinking, decision-making and actions that focus on the creation of value over the short, medium and long term.