ESG reporting of the most valuable brands: Unveiling topics significant for sustainable development

Abstract

By popularizing the concept of sustainability, companies are increasingly incorporating sustainability principles into their business strategies. More efforts are being made in the processes of measuring, analyzing, driving, and communicating sustainable initiatives and efforts undertaken by companies in the areas of governance, environmental impact, and society. Stakeholders, particularly investors, are increasingly demanding the disclosure of non-financial information in addition to what is already published in financial reports. This study explores the ESG reports of the top five companies from the 2023 Interbrand list of the 100 Best Global Brands, covering the period from 2018 to 2022. The aim of the study is to identify the type and content of information disclosed in the ESG reports of companies with most valuable brands, analyze them, and draw conclusions about ESG reporting. Although ESG reporting provides many business benefits, and more companies have been publishing these reports in recent years, there is no unified standard for ESG reporting, as evidenced by the research findings. The analysis identified the topics addressed by companies with most valuable brands in their reports, particularly during the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be concluded that the environmental impact segment remains the most prominent in the ESG reports of the mentioned companies.