The Reporting of Leading Mining Companies in the EU and Ukraine (Disclosure of Ecological Capital): A Comparative Study

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the activities of mining companies operating in both the European Union and Ukraine by analyzing their non-financial reports, in particular in terms of ecological capital, in terms of sustainable development and evaluating the efficiency of the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The article is aimed at disclosing the ecological aspects of the activities of mining enterprises of the EU and Ukraine in their reporting. The relevance of the study lies in the fact that disclosure by mining companies of information about their condition (in particular, ecological aspects – in order to identify risks that threaten the company’s sustainability) and increase investor and consumer confidence is vital for managing changes towards building a sustainable global economy by combining long-term profitability with environmental protection. Accordingly, the task of ensuring the sustainable development of mining companies is strategic not only for them, but also for the industry and the economy in general. The study analyzes the non-financial reports of the EU and Ukrainian mining entities to determine their actions in the light of social responsibility and to check whether they correlate with environmental protection and the implementation of the SDGs. The degree of disclosure of ecological information in the Management Reports of domestic extractive enterprises and Sustainability Reports of European companies is characterized. The results of this study present a unique contribution to understanding the performance of mining companies in sustainable development in Europe and Ukraine, the external driving factors that encourage them to participate in these activities, and their implementation of the SDGs in their sustainability reports. The article also emphasizes the importance of non-financial information for the sustainable development of companies and the environment.

Keywords

• mining activity
• non-financial reporting
• ecological capital
• social responsibility
• sustainable development
• european union
• environment