AA1000APS

The AA1000 Accountability Principles Standards were developed in 2008 and act as the core principles of the AA1000 framework (as distinct from AA1000AS which focuses specifically on assurance standards).

Defining accountability as 'acknowledging, assuming responsibility for and being transparent about the impacts of your policies, decisions, actions, products and associated performance', the standards outline the key principles for a strategic and accountable approach to sustainability. The three principles are: one foundational principle- 'Inclusivity'; and two supporting principles- 'Materiality' and 'Responsiveness'.

The standard outlines how it is essential for a business to understand stakeholders and the sustainability (material) issues that affect them and to engage with them. In addition, in order to be really accountable, a business must act according to these issues and subsequently communicate their progress in addressing them.

• Inclusivity: Inclusivity is seen as a foundational principle as it is fundamental to the concept of accountability. Businesses must accept that they are accountable for their actions and that this responsibility includes the impact they have on their stakeholders. They must also go further than this, and realise that to strategically address these impacts and issues they must include or engage their stakeholders during the formation of their strategy.
• Materiality: While accepting that the impact on stakeholders must be considered in a business' decision-making process, it is also imperative that the sustainability issues and impacts identified are materially important. In order to strategically address sustainability, a business must have a process to establish which issues materially affect them and their stakeholders, and which do not.
• Responsiveness: A crucial part of strategically addressing sustainability is the ability of a business to respond correctly and effectively to the issues they and their stakeholders face. Once material issues have been identified, businesses must respond appropriately, in a transparent manner that is communicated properly to those the response affects.

The principle 'Completeness' was initially incorporated into the AA1000 standards, however, it was deemed to be covered providing a business properly addresses the above principles, so is only mentioned in the 2008 version, rather than being cited as a true principle.