Reporting and disclosure of investments in sustainable development

Abstract

This paper builds upon prior research regarding the quest for a sustainable measuring method. Here, we present a method to integrate sustainability and financial accounting at the level of transaction recording and introduce the concept of environmental debit and credit entry. This concept is illustrated through investment reporting. Identification of the research gap is based on the review of the initial population of 141 research papers and is supported with the European legal framework analysis. Logistic regression on the 500 largest European-based companies justifies the environmental footprint inclusion into the integrated journal entry. This study provides robust data concerning the limitations of the current financial reporting system. Our findings support the conclusion that the currently applied hybrid sustainable disclosure with synthetic ratios, indicators and unstructured narratives failed to provide a comprehensive and auditable picture of a company’s environmental.