Scoring Sustainability Reports Using GRI 2011 Guidelines for Assessing Environmental, Economic, and Social Dimensions of Leading Public and Private Indian Companies

Ram Nayan Yadava and Bhaskar Sinha ()
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Ram Nayan Yadava: Indian Institute of Forest Management
Bhaskar Sinha: Indian Institute of Forest Management

Journal of Business Ethics, 2016, vol. 138, issue 3, No 10, 549-558

Abstract: Abstract Sustainability reporting guidelines developed by Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) provide a systematic approach for the companies to report their performance on social, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability. This study compared the sustainability reports of leading Indian public and private sector companies. Reports were analyzed based on GRI guidelines toward their reporting on sustainability. A numerical score from 0 to 3 was assigned for each of the 84 performance indicators (9, 30, and 45 indicators for economic, environment, and social dimensions, respectively) of the GRI 2011 guidelines based on inclusiveness of sustainability report. The analysis showed that reporting on economic dimension was comparatively better as compared to social and environmental dimensions. Sampled companies did not show much difference in their reporting practices on economic performances. However, considerable difference was observed in their reporting practices on environmental and social dimensions. Reporting practices of Tata Steel were better in all dimensions of sustainability and emerged as a responsible company on sustainability reporting.

Keywords: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI); Sustainability reporting; Environmental performance; Social performance; Indian companies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1007/s10551-015-2597-1

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