Development in sustainability reporting: Early evidence on core indicators

Abstract

The development of sustainability reporting has accelerated in recent years (Turzo et al., 2022) due to the activities of numerous actors. The United Nations (UN) adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has given an added impetus to financial reporting as companies (Pedersen, 2018) are shown as one of the main players that can sensitively contribute to the achievement of these goals. To support this, a set of indicators on sustainable development (Mair et al., 2018) was developed for implementation in non-financial reporting under a joint of International Standards of Accounting and Reporting (ISAR) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) project. This study concentrates on the effectiveness of the core indicators chosen by UNCTAD as showcased in the ISAR-UNCTAD sessions from 2017 to 2022. Case studies were conducted across various industries, geographies, and company sizes, aiming to evaluate the implementation of these indicators. Most companies could report on most core indicators, although challenges in consistent measurement, comparability, and reporting on environmental and social indicators were observed. The analysis concluded that while most indicators could be reported, providing further technical guidance, and building capacity at all levels is crucial for effective SDG reporting and realizing the 2030 Agenda. As companies become more familiar with the core indicators, the process of preparing sustainability reporting based on the guidance on core indicators (GCI) becomes easier.