IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i17p12882-d1225314.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The SDGs and Non-Financial Disclosures of Energy Companies: The Italian Experience

Author

Listed:
  • Giuseppe Scandurra

    (Department of Management Studies and Quantitative Methods, University of Naples Parthenope, 80134 Naples, Italy)

  • Antonio Thomas

    (Department of Business and Economics, University of Naples Parthenope, 80134 Naples, Italy)

Abstract

For some years, energy companies (ECs) have been increasingly pressured to address a broader set of social and environmental responsibilities that respond adequately to citizens’ expectations, local and international regulatory frameworks, and transnational initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus, ECs have invested considerable resources to reduce the environmental and social impact in their activities. This study aims to verify the measures that ECs have actually adopted by analyzing their social and sustainability reports. These reports constitute an official tool, and they are also supported by specific mandatory regulations such as EU Directive 2014/95, in which companies provide a non-financial disclosure aimed at demonstrating how their pursuit of the conditions of economic and financial equilibrium is increasingly and closely linked with the ability to assure sustainable development. This study considers eight major ECs operating in the Italian market. It compares the findings with two important foreign ECs that draw up a very structured and innovative report: the integrated report. The outcomes confirm that these ECs are making significant progress in the environmental and social spheres, although the path to full sustainable development is still unreached. The policy implications emerging from this study can contribute to this direction.

Suggested Citation

  • Giuseppe Scandurra & Antonio Thomas, 2023. "The SDGs and Non-Financial Disclosures of Energy Companies: The Italian Experience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:17:p:12882-:d:1225314
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/17/12882/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/17/12882/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sara Giovanna Mauro & Lino Cinquini & Elena Simonini & Andrea Tenucci, 2020. "Moving from Social and Sustainability Reporting to Integrated Reporting: Exploring the Potential of Italian Public-Funded Universities’ Reports," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-19, April.
    2. Carol A. Adams, 2017. "Conceptualising the contemporary corporate value creation process," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 30(4), pages 906-931, May.
    3. Charl de Villiers & Leonardo Rinaldi & Jeffrey Unerman, 2014. "Integrated Reporting: Insights, gaps and an agenda for future research," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(7), pages 1042-1067, August.
    4. Colin Higgins & Wendy Stubbs & Tyron Love, 2014. "Walking the talk(s): Organisational narratives of integrated reporting," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(7), pages 1090-1119, August.
    5. repec:eme:aaaj00:aaaj-04-2016-2529 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. repec:eme:aaaj00:aaaj-04-2018-3446 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Colin Higgins & Wendy Stubbs & Tyron Love, 2014. "Walking the talk(s): Organisational narratives of integrated reporting," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(7), pages 1090-1119, August.
    8. Sharon Bolton & Rebecca Kim & Kevin O’Gorman, 2011. "Corporate Social Responsibility as a Dynamic Internal Organizational Process: A Case Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 101(1), pages 61-74, June.
    9. repec:eme:aaaj00:aaaj-04-2013-1303 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Charl de Villiers & Leonardo Rinaldi & Jeffrey Unerman, 2014. "Integrated Reporting: Insights, gaps and an agenda for future research," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(7), pages 1042-1067, August.
    11. Valentina Minutiello & Patrizia Tettamanzi, 2022. "The quality of nonfinancial voluntary disclosure: A systematic literature network analysis on sustainability reporting and integrated reporting," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(1), pages 1-18, January.
    12. Laura Girella & Paola Rossi & Stefano Zambon, 2019. "Exploring the firm and country determinants of the voluntary adoption of integrated reporting," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(7), pages 1323-1340, November.
    13. Warwick Stent & Tuyana Dowler, 2015. "Early assessments of the gap between integrated reporting and current corporate reporting," Meditari Accountancy Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 23(1), pages 92-117, April.
    14. repec:eme:aaaj00:aaaj-06-2014-1736 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Pegg, Scott, 2012. "Social responsibility and resource extraction: Are Chinese oil companies different?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 160-167.
    16. Silvana Signori & Leire San-Jose & Jose Luis Retolaza & Gianfranco Rusconi, 2021. "Stakeholder Value Creation: Comparing ESG and Value Added in European Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-16, January.
    17. Leonardo Rinaldi & Jeffrey Unerman & Charl de Villiers, 2018. "Evaluating the integrated reporting journey: insights, gaps and agendas for future research," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 31(5), pages 1294-1318, June.
    18. Baruch Lev, 2018. "The deteriorating usefulness of financial report information and how to reverse it," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(5), pages 465-493, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Banu Dincer & Caner Dincer, 2024. "Insights into Sustainability Reporting: Trends, Aspects, and Theoretical Perspectives from a Qualitative Lens," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-16, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nuradhi Kalpani Jayasiri & Sriyalatha Kumarasinghe & Rakesh Pandey, 2023. "12 years of integrated reporting: A review of research," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(2), pages 2187-2243, June.
    2. Stefan Bezuidenhout & Charl de Villiers & Ruth Dimes, 2023. "How management control systems can enable, constrain, and embed integrated reporting," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(4), pages 4251-4273, December.
    3. Amir Hossain & Sudipta Bose & Abul Shamsuddin, 2023. "Diffusion of integrated reporting, insights and potential avenues for future research," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(2), pages 2503-2555, June.
    4. Thomas, Antonio & Scandurra, Giuseppe, 2023. "The transition toward sustainability of airport operators. Evidence from Italy," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    5. Roslender, Robin & Nielsen, Christian, 2021. "Accounting for the value expectations of customers: Re-imagining the Integrated Reporting initiative," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    6. Niccol? Comerio & Patrizia Tettamanzi, 2019. "Systematic literature network analysis in accounting: A first application on integrated reporting research," FINANCIAL REPORTING, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2019(2), pages 73-95.
    7. Yanqi Sun, 2023. "Can the innovation in sustainability disclosures reflect organisational sustainable development? An integrated reporting perspective from China," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(3), pages 1668-1680, June.
    8. Linda Kannenberg & Philipp Schreck, 2019. "Integrated reporting: boon or bane? A review of empirical research on its determinants and implications," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 89(5), pages 515-567, July.
    9. Alina Almã?an & Cristina Circa & Mãdãlina Dumitru & Raluca Gina Gu?e & Drago? Marian Mangiuc, 2019. "Effects of Integrated Reporting on Corporate Disclosure Practices regarding the Capitals and Performance," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 21(52), pages 572-572, August.
    10. Luca Leukhardt & Michel Charifzadeh & Fabian Diefenbach, 2022. "Does integrated reporting quality matter to capital markets? Empirical evidence from voluntary adopters," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(5), pages 1482-1494, September.
    11. Busco, Cristiano & Malafronte, Irma & Pereira, John & Starita, Maria Grazia, 2019. "The determinants of companies’ levels of integration: Does one size fit all?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 277-298.
    12. Charl de Villiers & Elmar R. Venter & Pei†Chi Kelly Hsiao, 2017. "Integrated reporting: background, measurement issues, approaches and an agenda for future research," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 57(4), pages 937-959, December.
    13. Jukka Mähönen, 2020. "Comprehensive Approach to Relevant and Reliable Reporting in Europe: A Dream Impossible?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-38, June.
    14. Malak Bou Diab & Vera Bou Diab & Mouhammad Ali Saleh, 2021. "The Challenges Facing Businesses In Lebanon In Adopting And Applying Integrated Reporting," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1, pages 255-264, February.
    15. Cerbone, Dannielle & Maroun, Warren, 2020. "Materiality in an integrated reporting setting: Insights using an institutional logics framework," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(3).
    16. Mähönen Jukka, 2020. "Integrated Reporting and Sustainable Corporate Governance from European Perspective," Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium, De Gruyter, vol. 10(2), pages 1-40, July.
    17. Simona Alfiero & Massimo Cane & Ruggiero Doronzo & Alfredo Esposito, 2018. "Determining characteristics of boards adopting Integrated Reporting," FINANCIAL REPORTING, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(2), pages 37-71.
    18. Manuel De Nicola & Anna Maria Maurizi, 2023. "What do companies report about their digital transformation?," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2023(2), pages 165-185.
    19. Stefano Marasca & Lucia Montanini & Alessia D'Andrea & Eva Cerioni, 2020. "The how and why of integrated reporting in a public health care organization: The stakeholders' perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(4), pages 1714-1722, May.
    20. Martina Nannelli & Stefania Oliva, 2021. "The rise of the sharing economy and its relationship with sustainable development. A critical literature review," Working Papers - Business wp2021_03.rdf, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:17:p:12882-:d:1225314. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.