Exploring Environmental Disclosure in SelectedAustralian Multinationals under the GRI Guidelines

Abstract

This paper explores changes in environmental reporting among Australian MNEs between 2004 and 2007, using the GRI guidelines, and explains how GRI transformation (from G2 to G3) leads to changes in environmental disclosure aspects along with their association with company size, profitability, industry sector. Applying Wilcoxon matched pair signed ranked and Spearman rank correlation tests, twenty companies from the Australian SAM Sustainability Index (AuSSI) are examined to identify the extent of changes on specific aspects of environmental disclosure. The findings of the paper document a significant increase in environmental reporting in Australian companies. In particular, reporting has increased for energy, emissions and environmental management followed by water, overall, materials, transport and product/services aspects. However, a shift in emphasis from compliance and biodiversity aspects associated with climate changes and resource preservation is also evident. Again, the majority of changes occurred in companies operating in environmentally sensitive industries with industry sector having significant relationship with a few environmental disclosure aspects, the study shows no significant effect of company size and profitability on different environmental disclosure aspects. These evidences indicate that external forces (such as, legislation, industry sensitiveness to environment, and stakeholder awareness and pressure) rather than internal factors are more effective to influence and determine environmental disclosure in Australian companies.<br /><br /><br /><br />

Environmental accounting disclosure practices of quoted manufacturing companies in Nigeria

“…The findings of this study corroborates those of Adeyemi and Ayanlola (2015), who acclaimed that non-significant disclosure practice is due to the voluntary nature of environmental disclosure by the companies in Nigeria. However, the findings failed to align with Farooque et al (2010) study, who observed a significant increase in disclosure practice. Also, in line with Buniamin (2010), it was observed that companies with an international presence disclosed better environmental accounting themes than others without international presence.…”

Water disclosure in the mining sector: An assessment of the credibility of sustainability reports

“…To reduce the risk of conflict with their stakeholders, many mining companies disclose information on their water resource management through the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI; Mudd, ). Since the mid‐2000s, disclosure practices have drawn the attention of many authors in management sciences (Al Farooque, Kotey, & Ahulu, ; Arthur, Wu, Yago, & Zhang, ; Dennis, Connole, & Kraut, ; Gunther et al, 2007; Lee, ; Leong, Hazelton, Taplin, Timms, & Laurence, ; Mudd, ; Pactwa & Woźniak, ). Some authors have also highlighted problems in transparency and completeness in the information disclosed by mining companies.…”

Telekomünikasyon Sektöründe Kurumsal Sosyal Sorumluluk Raporlaması: ABD, İngiltere ve Türkiye Vakası

“…Since industry of operation is an important indicator, it should be questioned whether different industries report sustainability practices differently because information demanded by stakeholders (Adams et al 1998) or information expected by stakeholders (Sweeney and Coughlan 2008) vary among industries. In this regard, (1) the paper of Sweeney and Coughlan (2008) states that automobile industry as well as oil and gas industries give importance to environmental disclosures and also indicates that primary stakeholders in the financial services consist of customers and communities; and (2) Al Farooque et al (2014) examine changes in sustainability disclosures of Australian companies and compare the data between 2004 and 2007 in the environmental context. This paper points out that there is great variation in environmentally sensitive industries such as energy, emissions and environmental management as well as water from 2004 to 2007 and these industries attach particular importance to environmental disclosure.…”