Episode 7, LRQA Business Assurance Trust and Transparency Podcast Series
24th Aug 2009 by Alex Briggs
In Episode 7 of the 10-part LRQA Business Assurance Trust and Transparency Podcast Series, Sandy Sutherland, Head of Technical and Regulatory Affairs for Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) talks about trust, carbon footprinting and the “AccountAbility Gap.” The interview was conducted at the Launch of the What Assures Consumers in an Economic Downturn Report at the Lloyd’s Register HQ in London. The research is the latest in a series from AccountAbility, sponsored by the Co-operative and supported by LRQA.
Lack of Work-Life Balance has significant risks to the organisation; including loss of productivity, poor health, and higher absenteeism. By offering flexible work arrangements to employees can help companies navigate the troubled times. By offering periods of unpaid leave or options to work part-time, companies may be able to avoid massive retrenchment and still retain their talented employees. 
Companies that fail to disclose their ESG performance will find it more difficult to obtain funds from institutional investors. Several pension funds, for example, consider climate change a key criterion and will exclude companies that cannot substantiate their environmental commitments. 
In Episode 3 of the 10-part LRQA Business Assurance Trust and Transparency Podcast Series, Solitaire Townsend, co-founder and Chief Executive of Futerra Communications, offers insight into what businesses need to do to rebuild consumer trust, as well as the role that 3rd parties have in consumer decision making. Solitaire is one of the UK’s leading experts on environmental communications. In recognition of her work on environmental and sustainability issues, Solitaire was named as