Abstract
The objective of this paper is to examine the nature and extent of sustainability reporting practices by the listed companies in Bangladesh. In order to fulfill this objective, the research has examined the content analysis of annual report (2015-2016) and website of the top 50 listed companies (according to market capitalization). Based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 guidelines, the study investigates three broad areas i.e. economic, environmental and social with 40 indicators. The findings of the study demonstrate that organizations in Bangladesh address few sustainability issues. Companies focus more on community development which is 90%, followed by employment and employee benefits (67%). The level of disclosures in website is meagre where only 26% of the sample companies disclose at least one indicator. Organizations’ attention on issues like environment, human rights and product responsibility is limited in relation to other issues. The extent of disclosure is also poor that is 66% of the companies use less than 25 sentences in sustainability reporting. Moreover, only 16% of the sample companies use separate sustainability reporting section. The limited disclosures on sustainability issues may be because of voluntary sustainability reporting in Bangladesh.
Highlights
Corporate sustainability reporting has increasingly gained research attention among accounting and management researchers
For this study our concentration is on sustainability issues such as economic, environmental, labor practices, human rights, product responsibility and social issues corresponding to the guidelines of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
We investigate the sustainability reporting practices of the top 50 listed companies in Bangladesh through using GRI G4 standard
Summary
Corporate sustainability reporting has increasingly gained research attention among accounting and management researchers. Given that the financial institutions are commanded towards moving sustainable development in the course of their influence as the providers of finance to businesses in other sectors of the economy, they can act as a major nexus in the aim of implementing the principles of sustainability in nations and communities as a whole (Khan, Islam, Fatima & Ahmed, 2011).
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