Measuring performance in corporate environmental reporting in Nigeria

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to measure the current level of corporate environmental reporting (CER) in the developing economy of Nigeria. This is with a view to drive the effort of firms towards improving on the present practice. An attempt is made to also determine the extent to which the level of CER differs on account of firm characteristics.Design/methodology/approachThe study used data for the top 40 companies on the Nigerian stock exchange as of 31 December 2017 based on market capitalization. The annual reports, company website and sustainability reports were the major sources of data. The paper used descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance to analyse data.FindingsDespite the attempt to explore multiple sources in obtaining environmental information, empirical evidence from the present study confirms that the level of environmental reporting is low; most companies report environmental issues through the website. It further found an association between CER and firm size.Practical implicationsThe findings will be of interest to policymakers and regulators on the need to regulate environmental reporting. Thus, motivating firms towards better environmental performance in Nigeria.Originality/valueThe paper extends environmental reporting research in Nigeria beyond the use of annual reports. It captured environmental information reported through the website and sustainability reports. It provides information on the current status in terms of quality and content of information reported. Finally, it found that firm size is a contingent factor for CER in Nigeria.