EUROPEAN COMMISSIONNEW REGULATIONS CONCERNING ENVIRONMENTALAND SOCIAL IMPACT REPORTING

Abstract

The European Commission has released a new directive concerning sustainability reporting that mustbe implemented in thousands ofcompanies by 2017. Many companies already report on sustainability. Thus, the question emerges whether companies already fulfil the requirements for reasons of legitimacy, signalling and authenticity, regardless of the new directive. A multiple comparative case study of exemplary companies with triangulation through qualitative expert interviews hasbeen conducted. Business reports, newspapers and interviews have been coded deductively and inductively. The exemplary companies already fulfil the majority of the new requirements. The result of the coding is a framework of five categories, namely, motives, legitimacy, integration, signalling and authenticity. It has been identified that motives have changed and sustainability reporting has developed into an instrument for legitimacy. The implementation has becomemore standardised and distinct signals have gained in significance to attain authenticity