G-Journal of Environmental Science and Technology (Dec 2013)
A Review of Corporate Sustainability Reporting: Global and National scenario
Abstract
Global concerns of climate change, poverty, human rights violations, and legal compliances have entailed corporate to pay attention towards social and environmental issues. Company‟s responsibility towards environment and social are reflected in their sustainability report (SR). The current sustainability reporting movement emerged in the US during the late 1980s, in response to the US 1987 Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act. Sustainability reporting gave multiple benefit of improvement in financial performance, stakeholder relationships, risk management, investor relationships, and Identification of new markets. However, the progress of sustainability reporting in India was slow, but a significant and sound start has been made. Adopting the principles of sustainability companies could make both comparative as well as competitive advantage over other. At present, there are good institutional setup and skilled human resource in India for developing Sustainability Reports. In this regard, there are no excuses for Indian businesses to not include them in their portfolio. With this Indian corporate show great interest in sustainability and sound growth has already been observed. Reporting practices will make companies to long term profitable, ethical, brand image and resourceful. It is proposed that a good Sustainability Report should give a holistic view of business and help the organization to design its strategy and prepare it suitably for different kinds of business cycles.
