Lessons on Corporate “Sustainability” Disclosure from Deepwater Horizon

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanford Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure

scholarly journals Approaches on the Screening Methods for Materiality in Sustainability Reporting

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susie Wu ◽  
Changliang Shao ◽  
Jiquan Chen
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Global Reporting Initiative ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Comparison Study ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure ◽  
Different Levels

Recent decades have seen a surge in corporate sustainability reports (SRs); their proliferation, however, does not ensure effective and consistent reporting on materiality. To improve the completeness, consistency and uniformity of SRs, this study aims at providing a review on the definition and identification of materiality and to propose screening methods for materiality assessments using publicly available resources. We found that most acknowledged standards and initiatives diverge in their definitions and approaches towards materiality. Four screening methods are proposed, including two that are directly usable: (1) Sustainability Accounting Standards Board Materiality Map™ and (2) Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Topics for Sectors; and two involving more desktop research: (3) GRI’s Sustainability Disclosure Database and (4) modeling from a life-cycle perspective. The second and third approaches are tested through a comparison study for the apparel and energy industries in selected regions using content analysis. The results indicate that the two approaches, with different levels of complexity, yield inconsistency in obtaining the most (i.e., the top three) material topics. The GRI’s Sustainability Disclosure Database is recommended for practitioners due to its balanced disclosure on management, economic, environmental and social sustainability themes.

scholarly journals A Reference Model of Sustainability Disclosure based on four Sustainability Stock Indexes

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Yuh Ching ◽  
Thiago Toste ◽  
Renan Tardelli
Keyword(s):  
Reference Model ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Positive Signal ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Responsible Investment ◽  
Sustainability Index ◽  
Fund Managers ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure ◽  
Dow Jones Sustainability Index ◽  
Stock Indexes

The study proposes to develop a reference model of sustainability disclosure based on the models and requirements of four sustainability indexes - Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Corporate Sustainability Index ISE, Frankfurt STOXX and Financial Times FTSE ESG. The approach employed to develop the model is a qualitative analysis of the complementarity among the Stock indexes above mentioned alongside a literature review on sustainability disclosure frameworks. There is no consensus around what should be measured and how. Yet, there is no study in the literature that has ever discussed the models of the sustainability stock indexes and the respective data required in each one of them or compared these models and their requirements. The present study attempts to fulfill this gap by examining the initiatives and requirements of four prominent sustainability indexes. This study contributes to the sustainability responsible investment literature. The inclusion of a firm in a sustainability index can be perceived as a positive signal by investors and this can be explained by signaling theory. This analysis can help investors and/or socially responsible fund managers to screen the stocks against this reference model and determine those firms that are more adherent to it.

scholarly journals Independent board of directors and corporate sustainability: A South African and Nigerian perspective

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-68
Author(s):  
Collins Ngwakwe ◽  
Fortune Ganda ◽  
Oladele John Akinyomi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Independent Directors ◽  
Environmental Reporting ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure

This paper examined the stance of independent directors on corporate sustainable development initiative in South Africa and Nigeria. This has become apposite considering the role of independent directors in corporate strategic decisions and performance. It is believed that independent boards strive to direct corporate decisions to protect the investors and thus improve financial performance. Given that sustainability initiative is currently occupying a vital strategic position in protecting firms against inherent and imminent climate change and financial risks, the paper undertakes a survey of South African and Nigerian companies to ascertain the role of independent directors on corporate sustainable development initiatives. Using a mix method of primary and secondary data analysis, the paper finds that independent boards in both countries of study understand the importance of sustainability; however a pragmatic stance on sustainability is more visible in South Africa where independent boards are members of and/or participate in nominating corporate sustainability committees. The paper suggests the need for improved detailed disclosure on sustainability in the Nigerian corporate annual reports; the Nigerian Stock Exchange may boost this initiative by establishing a social and environmental reporting index supported by an annual survey of company sustainability disclosure. It also suggests the need to include sustainability awareness and interest in the metrics that are used in the appointment of independent boards in Nigerian companies

Factors influencing corporate sustainability disclosure practices: empirical evidence from Indian National Stock Exchange

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kishore Kumar ◽  
Ranjita Kumari ◽  
Archana Poonia ◽  
Rakesh Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Information Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Free Cash Flow ◽  
Government Ownership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Flow Capacity ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the nature and extent of sustainability disclosure practices of publicly listed companies in India. Further, it investigates the impact of potential determinants on the sustainability disclosure of companies. Design/methodology/approach The study analyzes data of 75 top listed nonbanking companies operating in India included in NIFTY100 Index for the years 2014-2015 to 2018-2019. In the present study, environment, social and governance disclosure dimensions were considered to evaluate the sustainability reporting performance of companies using content analysis. Panel data analysis was conducted to investigate the impact of various factors on the extent of sustainability information disclosure. Findings Results indicate that environmentally polluting industries disclose significantly higher sustainability information than non-polluting industries in India. The empirical findings suggest that determinants such as company size, age, free cash flow capacity, government ownership and global reporting initiative (GRI) usage positively related to the extent of corporate sustainability disclosure. Contrary to the expectations, financial leverage and profitability were found to be negatively related to the sustainability disclosure of companies in India. Practical implications This study provides empirical evidence for regulators, practitioners and corporate strategists to assess the progress in the sustainability reporting landscape in India. The finding implies that large and established companies can reduce legitimacy costs through higher sustainability information disclosure. Interestingly, this premise did not hold in the case of high leveraged and profitable companies. Overall findings can also help policymakers to incorporate necessary reforms to improve sustainability reporting in India. Originality/value This study is one of the first studies to investigate the nature, extent and potential determinants of corporate sustainability disclosure in India. The paper adds to the existing literature on sustainability reporting by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between sustainability reporting and potential determinants such as government ownership, size, leverage, profitability, age, free cash flow capacity, industry and GRI usage.

Consequences of corporate sustainability reporting: evidence from an emerging market

2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-265
Author(s):  
RMNC Swarnapali
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Firm Value ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Earnings Quality ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Market Value ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discover whether corporate sustainability disclosure has a potential impact on the market value and earnings quality of firms in an emerging market. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 220 companies listed in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) in Sri Lanka during the period 2012-2016. Firm value proxies by Tobin’s Q, while earnings quality proxies by discretionary accruals (DAC). The study is premised on value-enhancing theory for firm value and transparent financial reporting perspective for earnings quality. Regression analyses are executed on the panel data to achieve the study objectives. Findings The results reveal a positive relationship between sustainability reporting (SR) and firm market value, accepting the value-enhancing theory while rejecting the value-destroying theory. This finding suggests that investors pay a premium in the financial markets for firms that perform in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, compared to firms that do not perform in a similar manner. In the same vein, the results reveal that sustainability disclosure and DAC are negatively and significantly associated, resulting in high-quality earnings. The result is consistent with the transparent financial reporting hypothesis, which is also in line with the managers’ integrity motivation. Originality/value This is the first study investigating the consequences of SR that is specific to the Sri Lankan context. Owing to the sparse studies on consequences of SR, this study contributes significantly to the extant literature by broadening the geographical coverage to include a developing country setting.

Corporate sustainability disclosure’s importance in China: financial analysts’ perception

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 1169-1189
Author(s):  
Jhunru Zhang ◽  
Hadrian Geri Djajadikerta ◽  
Terri Trireksani
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Financial Analysts ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Global Reporting Initiative ◽  
Environmental Aspect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Disclosure ◽  
The Social ◽  
Level Of Importance

Purpose Corporate sustainability in China has become a subject of increasing international concern. Corporate sustainability disclosure (CSD) is considered a useful tool to facilitate the empowerment and acknowledgement of stakeholders in the quest for sustainability. However, the degree of cultural and political influences for being sustainably orientated can be significantly different between countries. This study aims to examine the perception of financial analysts, as CSD report users, in China about the level of importance of various indicators of corporate sustainability described in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. Design/methodology/approach A set of questionnaires was developed based on GRI G4 guidelines to measure the perception of financial analysts in China on the level of importance of each sustainability indicator described in the GRI G4. A five-point Likert scale was used to measure the report users’ perceptions of each of the indicators. Findings The findings of this study increase our understanding of how Chinese CSD report users perceive corporate sustainability differently from the GRI guidelines. The main results show that the environmental aspect of sustainability was seen to be important in China, followed by the social and economic aspects. Indicator-wise, “water”, “effluents and waste”, “emissions”, “compliance” and “energy” were perceived as vital in the environmental category, while “customer health and safety”, “customer privacy” and “compliance” were considered significant in the social category. Originality/value This study addresses the need for differing corporate sustainability guidelines for different nations and cultures, specifically within the Chinese context. It also contributes to the corporate sustainability literature by adding to our understanding of how financial analysts in China, as CSD report users, perceive aspects of sustainability.

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