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Reporting and assurance

Our report preparation and review process is designed to ensure that the information provided within our sustainability reporting is material, responsive to stakeholder concerns, and as complete as possible. Our internal processes also take account of reporting guidance relating to report quality, covering issues such as balance, timeliness, comparability, accuracy and clarity.

How we report

Sustainability reporting, which we undertake annually, is an integral part of The Crown Estate's communication with stakeholders. The importance of sustainability to our organisation is reflected in its integration within our 2010/11 annual financial report and accounts.

We report in accordance with The Crown Estate's financial reporting cycle, and hence this report covers activities in the period from 1 April 2010 -31 March 2011. Our previous sustainability report covered the period from 1 April 2009-31 March 2010 and was released in July 2010.

Our reporting boundaries

Our external sustainability reporting is underpinned by clear definitions of our reporting boundaries. We gather and report information from activities under our control. As reporting processes vary in maturity, the scope and coverage of reported data differs according to different metrics. To maintain transparency, we specify the scope of data coverage alongside each item of data we report. For example, we have taken steps to increase the coverage of our reported environmental data, in particular increasing the number of properties from which we receive data on energy use. We also disclose where there have been significant changes to the boundaries which would materially affect the information provided.

We do not systematically report on activities undertaken on our estate where we do not have control. However we do receive information on selected activities that we do not directly control but are material to our business. We report on this information where we have permission to do so and where practical. For example, we monitor the installation of offshore renewable energy generation capacity. The primary purpose of collecting this is to identify ways that we can work to enable better performance.

Feedback

We use our sustainability report in discussions with stakeholders throughout the year, and welcome feedback on it.

Sustainability@thecrownestate.co.uk

Being sustainable

Sustainability is integral to our business and innate to our core values of commercialism, integrity and stewardship. Throughout this website our business groups have many areas dedicated to sustainable activity, reflecting the way it permeates our whole organisation.

Having implemented a new sustainability strategy in 2009 we have since been working hard to meet its objectives. While we recognise that we cannot be an innovator in everything we do, we must be in the key sustainability issues for our business.

Our first dedicated head of sustainability was appointed in 2009. Since that time our annual sustainability report has progressed to the point where it has twice been recognised in the Building Public Trust awards. In 2010, for the second year running, we won the 'sustainability reporting in the public sector' category.

Further information

Read more about sustainability in our online annual report and accounts