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Circular economy in corporate sustainability reporting: A review of organisational approaches

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  • Katelin Opferkuch
  • Sandra Caeiro
  • Roberta Salomone
  • Tomás B. Ramos

Abstract

A growing commitment from companies to implement circular economy (CE) strategies demands the development of guidelines for consistent related external communication. The fields of non‐financial reporting and sustainability are well established with numerous available international reporting frameworks and approaches; however, there is still an absence of standardised reporting principles and procedures for publishing progress on circularity. In this context, this article aims to explore how companies could include CE within their corporate sustainability reports, through an academic literature review and content analysis of existent reporting approaches. Results showed a clear disconnection between CE and sustainability reporting literature. Overall, only a few of the revised reporting approaches explicitly mention CE, and the guidance given to companies is very general, inconsistent and places the responsibility of selecting performance assessment approaches on the companies. The analysis contributes to identifying opportunities for transparent external communication of CE issues, as well as exploring the challenges and limitations.

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  • Katelin Opferkuch & Sandra Caeiro & Roberta Salomone & Tomás B. Ramos, 2021. "Circular economy in corporate sustainability reporting: A review of organisational approaches," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(8), pages 4015-4036, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:30:y:2021:i:8:p:4015-4036
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.2854
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    4. Aodhan Newsholme & Pauline Deutz & Julia Affolderbach & Rupert J. Baumgartner, 2022. "Negotiating Stakeholder Relationships in a Regional Circular Economy: Discourse Analysis of Multi-scalar Policies and Company Statements from the North of England," Circular Economy and Sustainability,, Springer.
    5. Jing Shao & Cedric Aneye & Alyona Kharitonova & Wei Fang, 2023. "Essential innovation capability of producer‐service enterprises towards circular business model: Motivators and barriers," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4548-4567, November.
    6. Hans Ulrich Buhl & Valerie Graf-Drasch & Christian Wiethe, 2023. "What to say and what to do: the disparity of the communication and investment in sustainability targets, given customer expectations," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(3), pages 485-507, April.
    7. Joanicjusz Nazarko & Ewa Chodakowska & Łukasz Nazarko, 2022. "Evaluating the Transition of the European Union Member States towards a Circular Economy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-24, May.
    8. Tommaso Gallo & Francesco Pacchera & Chiara Cagnetti & Cecilia Silvestri, 2023. "Do Sustainable Consumers Have Sustainable Behaviors? An Empirical Study to Understand the Purchase of Food Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-21, March.
    9. Hayder Jameel Ahmed & Asaad Mohammed Ali Wahhab, 2023. "Integration of IFRS and FN-IB Applications, as Well as Their Influence on the Value of Iraqi Banks," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 44(1), pages 103-123, June.
    10. Vitiana L'Abate & Nicola Raimo & Francesco Albergo & Filippo Vitolla, 2024. "Social media to disseminate circular economy information. An empirical analysis on Twitter," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(1), pages 528-539, January.
    11. Chowdhury, Naimur Rahman & Paul, Sanjoy Kumar & Sarker, Tapan & Shi, Yangyan, 2023. "Implementing smart waste management system for a sustainable circular economy in the textile industry," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    12. Oana Marina Radu & Voicu D. Dragomir & Ningshan Hao, 2023. "Company-Level Factors of Non-Financial Reporting Quality under a Mandatory Regime: A Systematic Review of Empirical Evidence in the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-32, November.
    13. Christof Falkenberg & Carina Schneeberger & Siegfried Pöchtrager, 2023. "Is Sustainability Reporting Promoting a Circular Economy? Analysis of Companies’ Sustainability Reports in the Agri-Food Sector in the Scope of Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and EU Taxo," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-21, May.
    14. Erik Roos Lindgreen & Katelin Opferkuch & Anna M. Walker & Roberta Salomone & Tatiana Reyes & Andrea Raggi & Alberto Simboli & Walter J. V. Vermeulen & Sandra Caeiro, 2022. "Exploring assessment practices of companies actively engaged with circular economy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1414-1438, May.
    15. Philip Whiting & Vanessa Cullen & Huia Adkins & Fiona Chatteur, 2023. "A New Retail Interior Design Education Paradigm for a Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-20, January.
    16. Benedetta Esposito & Nicola Raimo & Ornella Malandrino & Filippo Vitolla, 2023. "Circular economy disclosure and integrated reporting: The role of corporate governance mechanisms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5403-5419, December.
    17. Anna M. Walker & Alberto Simboli & Walter J. V. Vermeulen & Andrea Raggi, 2023. "A dynamic capabilities perspective on implementing the Circular Transition Indicators: A case study of a multi‐national packaging company," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(5), pages 2679-2692, September.

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