I first learned about the Irresponsibility Report from Ylva, and I think it’s a bold and brilliant idea. What does Ylva do? They rent commercial and office spaces in the heart of Helsinki. And yet, they had the courage to publicly highlight the challenges and difficulties within their industry — challenges that certainly aren’t unique to them.

In recent years, publishing a sustainability report or obtaining sustainability certifications has become either a marketing necessity or a legal requirement. Based on the published report, businesses compete to showcase how much they’ve done for sustainability — how much energy and water consumption has been reduced, how much waste has been sorted and recycled, how much has been donated to social causes, and so on. It’s great to hear all this good news, and it does help encourage businesses to do more.

But what about the sustainability issues that haven’t been solved? Sustainability management typically begins with an internal materiality assessment — an internal review to understand a company’s sustainability impact. In a way, this assessment already acts as an internal “Irresponsibility Report” — highlighting where the company is falling short. However, while this information is used as the basis for planning and action, it’s rarely made public.

The most difficult sustainability challenges are not unique to one company. They are often industry-wide problems. Instead of hiding them, businesses could acknowledge them, discuss them, and work together to find solutions. By publishing an Irresponsibility Report, companies not only demonstrate transparency but also help create a shared understanding of the toughest sustainability hurdles.

I love the saying that in sustainability management, cooperation should always come before competition. An Irresponsibility Report highlights the biggest challenges the industry faces, opening the door for partnerships — between all stakeholders — to tackle them together.