Purpose of the integrated report
The integrated report is a synthetic document containing information about a company’s business activity, its organisation and how the value it creates is distributed among its stakeholders (clients, shareholders and investors, employees, partners and suppliers, civil society organisations, etc.).
The prime objective of an integrated report is to provide financial and extra-financial elements that demonstrate how the company's strategic vision and modes of organisation enable it to generate value. In other words, it reports on the integration of environmental, social and governance data – along with financial data – into the business model and strategy of the company, following its sustainable approach.
Therefore, an integrated report is often the result of close cooperation between different corporate departments. At BNP Paribas, this document is produced by the Communication, CSR, Finance & Strategy and Corporate Engagement teams, together with all the Group’s business lines and functions.
The BNP Paribas Integrated Report is also a valuable source of information for all the Group’s stakeholders.
The Integrated Report is Gaining Traction
Since 2011, more and more companies worldwide are adopting this type of annual reporting. In the United Kingdom – where it is known as the Strategic Report – and in South Africa, it has become mandatory. In France, it has been gaining ground: in 2023, 65% of the companies in the CAC 40 stock market index, and 47% of those in the SBF 120 index, issued an integrated report, compared to 58% and 33% respectively in 2019.
While this type of reporting is usually not mandatory, it was originally based on the recommendations of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), an international coalition set up in 2010 which brings together pilot companies, investors, promoters of reporting standards and major audit firms. The IIRC thus provided an initial framework for integrated reporting, encouraging each company to take ownership of it and to incorporate it in a broader process of CSR reporting.
The integrated report: a useful tool for chearolders and investors
The integrated report effectively complements the existing panel of regulatory and non-regulatory corporate publications. It responds particularly to the demand of chearolders and investors, which are increasingly interested in companies’ extra-financial data and their short-, medium- and long-term social and environmental impact.
The integrated report also gives shareholders and investors an overall, forward-looking vision of a company, both from the financial and extra-financial perspectives. It enables readers to form an opinion on the company’s strategic trajectory, i.e. how it will use its resources to develop its business activity; the company's ability to gain and maintain competitive advantages; and its effectiveness in managing business and environmental risks.
BNP Paribas Integrated Report in the ecosystem of its institutional publications
Our Integrated Report is part of a comprehensive ecosystem of publications: Code of conduct, Manifesto of Company Engagement, Universal Registration Document, etc.