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Biodiversity and threatened species reporting by the top Fortune Global companies

Author

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  • Ralph Adler
  • Mansi Mansi
  • Rakesh Pandey

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the biodiversity and threatened species reporting of the top 150 Fortune Global companies. The paper has two main objectives: to explore the extent to which the top 150 Fortune Global companies disclose information about their biodiversity and species conservation practices, and to explore the effects of biodiversity partners and industry on companies’ biodiversity and threatened species reporting. Design/methodology/approach - The study’s sample is the top 150 Fortune Global companies. Each company’s fiscal year ending 2014 annual report, its 2014 sustainability report, and its company website were content analyzed for evidence of biodiversity and threatened species reporting. This content analysis is supplemented by a detailed analysis that focusses on the sample’s top five reporters, including a phone interview with a senior sustainability manager working at one of these companies. Finally, a regression analysis was conducted to examine the associations between companies’ biodiversity and threatened species reporting and the presence/absence of biodiversity partners and a company’s industry F&C Asset Management industry category. Findings - The reporting on biodiversity and threatened species by the top 150 Fortune Global companies is quite limited. Few companies (less than 15) are providing any substantial reporting. It was further observed that even among the high scoring companies there is a lack of consistent reporting across all index items. A subsequent empirical examination of these companies’ disclosures on biodiversity and threatened species showed a statistically positive association between the amount of reporting and companies’ holding of biodiversity partnerships. It was also observed that firms categorized as red- and green-zone companies made more disclosures on biodiversity and threatened species than amber-zone companies. Originality/value - This is the first study to systematically analyze corporate disclosures related to threatened species and habitats. While some prior studies have included the concept of biodiversity when analyzing organizations’ environmental disclosures, they have done so by examining it as one general category out of many further categories for investigating organizations’ environmental reporting. In the present study, the focus is on the specific contents of biodiversity disclosures. As such, this study has the twin research objectives of seeking to illuminate the current state of biodiversity and threatened species reporting by the world’s largest multinationals and provide an appreciation for how certain organizational and industry variables serve to influence these reporting practices. These multiple insights offer companies, and potentially regulators, understanding about how to include (or extend) disclosures on biodiversity loss and species under threat of extinction.

Suggested Citation

  • Ralph Adler & Mansi Mansi & Rakesh Pandey, 2018. "Biodiversity and threatened species reporting by the top Fortune Global companies," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 31(3), pages 787-825, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:aaajpp:aaaj-03-2016-2490
    DOI: 10.1108/AAAJ-03-2016-2490
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. David Talbot & Olivier Boiral, 2021. "Public organizations and biodiversity disclosure: Saving face to meet a legal obligation?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 2571-2586, July.
    2. Lee Roberts & Monomita Nandy & Abeer Hassan & Suman Lodh & Ahmed A. Elamer, 2022. "Corporate Accountability Towards Species Extinction Protection: Insights from Ecologically Forward-Thinking Companies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(3), pages 571-595, July.
    3. Madlen Sobkowiak, 2023. "The making of imperfect indicators for biodiversity: A case study of UK biodiversity performance measurement," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 336-352, January.
    4. Suraiyah Akbar & Craig Deegan, 2021. "Analysis of corporate social disclosures of the apparel industry following crisis: an institutional approach," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(2), pages 3565-3600, June.
    5. Pei‐Chi Kelly Hsiao & Charl de Villiers & Claire Horner & Hein Oosthuizen, 2022. "A review and synthesis of contemporary sustainability accounting research and the development of a research agenda," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(4), pages 4453-4483, December.
    6. Raghda Abdellatif Abdelkhalik Elsayed, 2023. "Exploring the financial consequences of biodiversity disclosure: how does biodiversity disclosure affect firms' financial performance?," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 1-18, December.
    7. Lee Roberts & Abeer Hassan & Ahmed Elamer & Monomita Nandy, 2021. "Biodiversity and extinction accounting for sustainable development: A systematic literature review and future research directions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 705-720, January.
    8. Marco-Fondevila, Miguel & Álvarez-Etxeberría, Igor, 2023. "Trends in private sector engagement with biodiversity: EU listed companies' disclosure and indicators," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    9. Samuel Jack Anthony & Angus Morrison‐Saunders, 2023. "Analysing corporate forest disclosure: How does business value biodiversity?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 624-638, January.
    10. Jane Andrew & Max Baker, 2020. "Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting: The Last 40 Years and a Path to Sharing Future Insights," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 56(1), pages 35-65, March.
    11. Lee Roberts & Nikoletta Georgiou & Abeer Mohamed Hassan, 2023. "Investigating biodiversity and circular economy disclosure practices: Insights from global firms," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(3), pages 1053-1069, May.
    12. Abeer Hassan & Ahmed A. Elamer & Suman Lodh & Lee Roberts & Monomita Nandy, 2021. "The future of non‐financial businesses reporting: Learning from the Covid‐19 pandemic," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(4), pages 1231-1240, July.
    13. Kouassi Marius Honoré Aké & Olivier Boiral, 2023. "Sustainable development and stakeholder engagement in the agri‐food sector: Exploring the nexus between biodiversity conservation and information technology," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(1), pages 334-348, February.
    14. Luisa Esteban-Salvador & Ana Felicitas Gargallo-Castel & Javier Pérez-Sanz, 2020. "Environmental Practices in Firms Located in Underpopulated Rural Areas in Spain: The Case of the Province of Teruel," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-16, December.
    15. Abeer Mohamed Hassan & Lee Roberts & Jill Atkins, 2020. "Exploring factors relating to extinction disclosures: What motivates companies to report on biodiversity and species protection?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 1419-1436, March.
    16. C. Feger & Laurent Mermet, 2021. "Advances in accounting for biodiversity and ecosystems: a typology focusing upon the environmental results imperative [Innovations comptables pour la biodiversité et les écosystèmes : une typologie," Post-Print hal-02549016, HAL.
    17. Jan Bebbington & Tom Cuckston & C. Feger, 2021. "Biodiversity," Post-Print hal-03746729, HAL.

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