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In this paper we use a form of discourse analysis to explore the ‘activity’ that three quite different sustainability reports set up as companies communicate their social and environmental performance. Our aim is to show what sustainability reports ‘do’ – in order to offer insights about what they ‘could do’. We show that the companies are using sustainability reporting strategically, and that sustainability is embedded in to the company's strategic priorities. Where they mostly narrate and argue a point of view, sustainability reporting can offer additional benefits by transiting towards dialogue. Dialogue provides stakeholders with the means to engage substantially with companies, and also introduce new discourses that may open up new directions in how companies contribute to sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) involves multiple stakeholders operating through multiple processes and levels. This makes ICZM challenging. Trust is a critical ingredient for ensuring that the diverse understandings, perspectives and forms of knowledge about the coast are appropriately considered in decision-making. However, the number and diversity of stakeholders with an interest in the coast means that building and maintaining trust is challenging. Drawing on insights from 42 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders involved in coastal management in Victoria, Australia, this paper contributes to an improved understanding of the importance of trust in coastal zone management and what might be done to enhance it. In doing so, the importance of trust in coastal zone management is reinforced; stakeholders’ perspectives on who they trust to obtain advice from, and why, are unpacked; and the broader implications for coastal zone management are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]