Ceres, a leading non-profit sustainability organization, announced today that it is replacing its North American-based sustainability reporting awards program with a newly-designed awards program that will focus more broadly on leading practice in sustainability governance, disclosure and stakeholder engagement. The new awards program will be launched at the 2012 Ceres Conference next April 25-26 in Boston.

“This new awards program is a recognition that we need to examine broader accountability mechanisms for understanding corporate sustainability,” said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres. “Measurement and disclosure are critical, but robust sustainability strategies also require a commitment to strong governance practices and stakeholder engagement.”

Since 2002, Ceres and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) have given out annual awards recognizing excellence in sustainability reporting in North America. Ceres will not be presenting awards at the Ceres Conference 2012, but instead will announce new submission criteria for a newly designed sustainability awards program.

The new awards program will be closely aligned with a major report Ceres released in 2010, The 21st Century Corporation: Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability. The roadmap is a vision and guide for building a comprehensive sustainability strategy and details the four key components of building such a strategy: disclosure, governance, stakeholder engagement and performance.

Ceres’ new awards program will recognize those companies that demonstrate strong accountability structures through the integration of sustainability into governance and management systems, a commitment to engaging both external and internal stakeholders, as well as transparency in disclosure.

“Sustainability challenges, such as climate change and resource constraints, present enormous risks and opportunities,” Lubber said. “Companies that respond best will be those that go well beyond disclosure by embedding sustainability across their business platforms and decision-making. Ceres is dedicated to rewarding those companies that are leading the way and helping to build a more sustainable economy.”