scholarly journals Corporate Accountability in Disclosing Carbon Information: Evidence from a Developing Nation

2019 ◽  
pp. 117-127
Author(s):  
Faizah Darus ◽  
Hidayatul Izati Mohd Zuki ◽  
Haslinda Yusoff ◽  
Noraslinda Mat Aris
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Corporate Accountability ◽  
Developing Nation ◽  
Carbon Reduction ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive ◽  
Sustainability Reports

The issue of climate change has been a significant concern globally both in the developed and developing economies. This study aims to uncover the quality of carbon information disclosed in a developing country i.e. Malaysia. A content analysis of the annual and sustainability reports of Top 100 companies in environmentally-sensitive industries in Malaysia over a two-year period in 2011 and 2014 was undertaken. The results revealed that the quality of carbon information provided by companies improved over the two-year period and the changes were significant. The companies were also beginning to translate quantitative details into monetary amounts. The dimension Carbon reduction and costs had the highest mean score for both years. The findings revealed that the construction industry had the lowest mean score for all dimensions in both years and this finding is a concern as activities of the construction industry are generally known to have numerous effects on the environment. The findings from the study revealed that companies are taking the initiatives to set carbon reduction targets to be achieved in the future, hence, a signal of enhanced corporate environmental accountability. Nevertheless, the overall low disclosure of carbon information may require the intervention from stakeholders to improve the quality of the report.

scholarly journals Corporate Accountability in Disclosing Carbon Information: Evidence from a Developing Nation.

2018 ◽  
pp. 984-994
Author(s):  
Faizah Darus ◽  
Hidayatul Izati Mohd Zuki ◽  
Haslinda Yusoff ◽  
Noraslinda Mat Aris
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Corporate Accountability ◽  
Developing Nation ◽  
Carbon Reduction ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive ◽  
Sustainability Reports

The issue of climate change has been a significant concern globally both in the developed and developing economies. This study aims to uncover the quality of carbon information disclosed in a developing country i.e. Malaysia. A content analysis of the annual and sustainability reports of Top 100 companies in environmentally-sensitive industries in Malaysia over a two-year period in 2011 and 2014 was undertaken. The results revealed that the quality of carbon information provided by companies improved over the two-year period and the changes were significant. The companies were also beginning to translate quantitative details into monetary amounts. The dimension Carbon reduction and costs had the highest mean score for both years. The findings revealed that the construction industry had the lowest mean score for all dimensions in both years and this finding is a concern as activities of the construction industry are generally known to have numerous effects on the environment. The findings from the study revealed that companies are taking the initiatives to set carbon reduction targets to be achieved in the future, hence, a signal of enhanced corporate environmental accountability. Nevertheless, the overall low disclosure of carbon information may require the intervention from stakeholders to improve the quality of the report.

scholarly journals Compliance with materiality in G4-sustainability reports by electric utilities

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 583-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Slacik ◽  
Dorothea Greiling
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Electric Utility ◽  
Global Reporting Initiative ◽  
Actual Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Reporting Practice ◽  
Sustainability Reports

Purpose Materiality as an emerging trend aims to make sustainability reports (SR) more relevant for stakeholders. This paper aims to investigate whether the reporting practice of electric utility companies (EUC) is in compliance with the materiality principle of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) when disclosing SR. Design/methodology/approach A twofold content analysis focusing on material aspects (MAs) is conducted, followed by correlation analysis. Logic and conversation theory (LCT) serves to evaluate the communication quality of documented materiality in SR by EUC. Findings The coverage and quality of documented MAs in SR by EUC do not meet the requirements for relevant and transparent communication. Materiality does not guide the reporting practice and is not taken seriously. Research limitations/implications Mediocre quality of coverage and communication in SR shows that stakeholders’ information needs are not considered adequately. The content analysis is limited in focusing on merely documented aspects rather than on actual performance. Originality/value This study considers the quality of communication of documented materiality through the lens of LCT. It contributes to the academic debate by introducing LCT as a viable theoretical perspective for analyzing SR. The paper evaluates GRI-G4 reporting practices in the electricity sector, which, while under-researched is crucial for sustainability. It also contributes to the emerging body of empirical research on the relevance of materiality as a guiding principle for sustainability reporting.

The signals of green governance on mitigation of climate change – evidence from Chinese firms

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lopin Kuo ◽  
Hui-Cheng Yu ◽  
Bao-Guang Chang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
Chinese Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Carbon Reduction ◽  
Financing Cost ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Green Governance ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive

Purpose – This paper aims to examines whether Chinese firms’ signals of green governance, including environmental management, green innovation, and greenhouse gas (GHG) and pollution emission, vary significantly with their ownership structure and aim of being environmentally sensitive. Design/methodology/approach – From corporate social responsibility (CSR)-China website and CNINFO, a total of 781 CSR reports released during 2008-2010 were collected. The collected data were coded and analyzed using content analysis. Findings – In overall disclosure of environmental protection information (TotalEP), no significant difference existed between state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and privately owned enterprises (POEs). Chinese environmentally sensitive industries (ESIs) have a tendency to disclose significantly more information about their actions of environmental protection than their counterparts. Moreover, SOEs and ESIs scored higher than their counterparts on energy saving and carbon reduction and development of circular economy. A steady increase was also observed in the disclosure ratio for CO2 emission. During 2008-2010, SOEs and ESIs were relatively more committed to the disclosure of SO2 emission as compared to other emission items. Practical implications – Managers should disclose signals of green governance actively to avoid adverse selection caused by information asymmetry which further lower their financing cost. Originality/value – There is still a lack of evidence as to whether Chinese firms are implementing actions to slow down climate change. This paper endeavours to provide an insight into Chinese firms’ compliance with the green governance requirements of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan. The study hopes to fill the current gap in understanding the environmental behaviours of Chinese firms under pressure to alleviate climate change.

Intellectual Capital Disclosure in Sustainability Reports

2013 ◽  
pp. 195-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Bronzetti ◽  
Romilda Mazzotta ◽  
Graziella Sicoli ◽  
Maria Assunta Baldini
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Information Disclosure ◽  
Listed Companies ◽  
Global Reporting Initiative ◽  
Voluntary Disclosures ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
Sustainability Report

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the level and the quality of voluntary disclosures of Intellectual Capital (IC) in the sustainability reports on a sample of Italian listed companies. The authors conducted an analysis of twelve sustainability reports for two years (2009-2010). These are related to six firms selected among the most capitalized 37 Italian listed companies. To investigate the “level of disclosure,” the authors identified the presence of IC information, while to evaluate the “IC quality,” they constructed a voluntary disclosure index based on content analysis. IC information disclosure is more likely present in sustainability reports of firms with a higher levels of application of the Global Reporting Initiative framework. The results confirm that the sustainability report can adequately represent the intellectual capital, especially in order to understand its role in the firm and the interaction with other variables present in the firm.

Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting and Climate Change

2020 ◽  
pp. 171-198
Author(s):  
Ana Florindo ◽  
Kátia Lemos ◽  
Sónia Monteiro ◽  
Verónica Ribeiro
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting ◽  
Panel Data Regression ◽  
Data Regression ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
High Level ◽  
Corporate Social

This article aims to investigate the extent of carbon emissions disclosures in Portuguese companies operating in environmentally sensitive industries, from 2008 to 2012. Additionally, the chapter aims to explore the factors that explain the extent of such disclosures. The research sample is based upon Portuguese companies that had been continuously integrating in the PNALE I and II, over the twelve-year period. A content analysis of their annual/sustainability reports was conducted to explore the carbon emissions-related disclosures. The study also uses a disclosure index to investigate the extent of disclosure and a panel data regression model was performed to determine the factors that influence carbon emissions reporting. The results show a relatively high level of disclosure and the influence of size, activity sector, concentration of capital and economic period on the level of disclosure presented.

Measuring the level of corporate commitment regarding climate change strategies

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 626-644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iordanis Eleftheriadis ◽  
Evgenia Anagnostopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Change Strategies ◽  
Climate Change Risk ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Carbon Reduction ◽  
Corporate Commitment ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
Top Management Commitment

Purpose This study aims to examine the various climate change practices adopted by firms and develop a set of corporate indexes that measure the level of climate change corporate commitment, climate change risk management integration and climate change strategies adoption. Moreover, this study examines the relationship between the aforementioned indexes. The authors claim that there is a positive relationship between the adoption of climate change strategies, corporate commitment and risk management integration. The aforementioned indexes have been used to assess the largest companies in the oil and gas sectors. Design/methodology/approach To assess this study’s sample companies, a content analysis of their carbon disclosure project (CDP) reports for the years 2012-2015 was conducted. Finally, weights were assigned to the content analysis data based on the results of a survey regarding the difficulty of implementing each climate change practice included in the respective index. The survey sample included climate change experts who are either currently employed in companies that are included in the Financial Times Global 500 (FT 500) list, or work as external partners with these companies. Findings The present study results highlight the need for developing elaborate corporate indexes, as the various climate change practices have different degrees of difficulty regarding their implementation. Additionally, a general trend in adopting climate change strategies is observed, especially in the field of carbon reduction strategies, which mainly involve the implementation of low carbon technologies. Finally, a positive and significant relationship was found between carbon reduction targets, risk management integration and climate change strategies. Practical implications Although international research has extensively examined the importance of managers’ perceptions on environmental issues as an enabling factor in developing environmental strategies, according to the results of our survey, corporations must go beyond top management commitment towards climate change to be able to successfully implement climate change strategies. Incorporation of climate change risk management procedures into a company’s core business activities as well as the establishment of precise carbon reduction targets can provide the basis on which successful climate change strategies are implemented. Originality/value Most studies address the issue of climate change management in terms of environmental or sustainability management. Furthermore, research on climate change and its relationship with business management is mainly theoretical, and climate change corporate performance is measured with aggregate indexes. This study focuses on climate change which is examined from a five-dimensional perspective: top management commitment, carbon reduction targets, risk management integration, carbon reduction and carbon compensation strategies. This allows us to conduct an in-depth analysis of the various climate change practices of firms.

scholarly journals SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING IN THE NORDIC REAL ESTATE COMPANIES: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM FINLAND

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anahita RASHIDFAROKHI ◽  
Saija TOIVONEN ◽  
Kauko VIITANEN
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Real Estate ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Quality Of Information ◽  
Real Estate Sector ◽  
Legal Risks ◽  
The Common ◽  
Sustainability Reports

The purpose of our study was to investigate the content of sustainability reporting issued by real estate sector. Content analysis was employed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of sustainability information provided by sample companies. The content analysis structure considered both quantity and quality of information simultaneously. Our results show an inconsistency in the form, extent and quality of sustainability reports. In addition, our findings recognise a lack of clear approach to embrace materiality, external assurance, and further engagement of stakeholders in the sample reports. It seems that most of the sample companies were engaged in issuing sustainability reports to fulfil the legislative requirement and avoiding financial or legal risks. Our study provides information on the current status of sustainability reporting to real estate professionals. In addition it contributes in decreasing the financial and legal risks, and increasing the corporate reputational capital, by revealing the common weaknesses prevalent in the sustainability reports.

scholarly journals A Comprehensive Measurement for Sustainability Reporting Quality: Principles-Based Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
Paulina Permatasari ◽  
Juniati Gunawan ◽  
Magdi El-Bannany
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Quality Principles ◽  
Quality Of Reports ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
Comprehensive Measurement

This study presents a comprehensive approach to measure sustainability reporting quality (SRQ) and examines levels of SRQ. It was then used to measure SRQ in Indonesia. Based on reporting guidelines, the new comprehensive measurement for SRQ was developed by not only evaluating the extent of disclosures, but also by examining the quality. The content analysis was conducted to measure the level of SRQ using this comprehensive measurement. The samples are from stand-alone sustainability reports of companies. The results indicate that the overall score for SRQ was moderate. The score was derived using five aspects: the extent of quantitative reporting, the extent of qualitative reporting, the content of the report, the quality of the report, and sustainability reporting accordance. This proposed comprehensive SRQ measurement was used to examine the quantitative and qualitative aspects. This measurement will help academicians to examine the quality of reports and provide more credible assessments that can be used by practitioners to analyze the content of the report. Applying the SRQ measure to Indonesian companies empirically enriches the existing literature and creates a new platform for future studies. 

scholarly journals Green, blue or black, but washing–What company characteristics determine greenwashing?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Ruiz-Blanco ◽  
Silvia Romero ◽  
Belen Fernandez-Feijoo
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Quantitative Measure ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Industry Effect ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Sustainability Report

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to study what are the characteristics that make firms less or more prone to greenwashing. We collect data from sustainability disclosures of the S&P top 100 companies, to investigate the determinants of greenwashing. We use content analysis to measure the level of reporting of the companies. We define the “greenwashing” variable as the difference between what the company says it does in terms of commitment to sustainability, and what the company actually does as evaluated by external parties (Bloomberg ESG scores). Our results show that companies in environmentally sensitive industries greenwash less than their counterparts in other industries, as well as companies following the GRI guidelines. Companies that issue a sustainability report and assure it greenwash less than those that do not do it. Contrary to our intuition, companies in industries with close proximity and high visibility greenwash more than their counterparts. A limitation of the paper is the inclusion in the sample of data from one country. Our findings have implications for policy-makers, particularly in Europe, where some European states have already regulated on green issues reporting and lately on blue issues. It might be interesting to consider both the industry effect and the relevance of reporting mechanisms when developing regulation and policies in order to improve the quality of sustainability reporting. We contribute to literature by proposing a new quantitative measure to assess greenwashing practices, to better understand the effect of industry and reporting mechanisms on greenwashing.

THE QUALITY OF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT DISCLOSURES IN SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY FROM INDONESIA

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Juniati Gunawan ◽  
Rika Yudani
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Stakeholder Engagement ◽  
The Public ◽  
Major Stakeholder ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
A Company ◽  
Sustainability Report ◽  
Very High

The emerging of sustainability reports reflects the company's efforts in implementing greater transparency. A sustainability report reviews the company’s performances in three parameters: economic, environmental, and social, in which stakeholder engagement is one of the most important elements. However, stakeholder-engagement practices are considered still far from expectation. Information disclosed by a company is not enough to meet the information needed by the public. This study aims to determine the level of quality of stakeholder engagement disclosures in sustainability reports. The quality of disclosure was reviewed by four aspects: ‘Report Content’, ‘Stakeholder Representation’, ‘Stakeholder Engagement’, and ‘Channel and Methods of Stakeholder Engagement’. The content analysis was applied to evaluate the quality of these disclosures and to determine the class ranks of low, moderate, high, and very high. Samples were obtained from 28 sustainability reports which had been consistently published by 7 companies in Indonesia during the period of 2008-2011. The results show that the level of quality of stakeholder engagement disclosures in Indonesian sustainability reports is generally considered moderate. The ‘Employee’ seems to be the major stakeholder which was disclosed widely and it has a relatively strong power to influence a company’s decision.

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