IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/ijodag/v21y2024i1d10.1057_s41310-023-00206-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Expectations for sustainability reporting from users, preparers, and the accounting profession

Author

Listed:
  • Hamilton Elkins

    (University of Saskatchewan)

  • Gary Entwistle

    (University of Saskatchewan)

  • Regan N. Schmidt

    (University of Saskatchewan)

Abstract

Sustainability information has become an important component of financial statement users’ information needs. Over time, a mosaic of sustainability reporting standard setters and standards have emerged with users, regulators, and government creating pressure for firms to disclose ESG (environmental, social, and governance) information. Given the fragmented disclosure landscape, in 2020 the IFRS Foundation released a consultation paper proposing they create a sustainability standards board and develop a single set of standards. This study examines the expectations users, preparers, and the accounting profession have for sustainability reporting through their comment letters on topics such as the need for a single set of sustainability standards, the standards’ initial subject matter, the choice of single or double materiality, and the desire for assurance on sustainability information. Our analysis documents a common desire for a single standard setter and standards. However, there is a lack of consensus and significant differences in opinions pertaining to the initial subject matter of the standards and the approach to materiality. The analysis also suggests an inverse expectations gap whereby the accounting profession is misunderstanding the level of assurance demanded by users and preparers. Subsequent Foundation actions compared to our analysis portend challenges in achieving uniformity in sustainability reporting.

Suggested Citation

  • Hamilton Elkins & Gary Entwistle & Regan N. Schmidt, 2024. "Expectations for sustainability reporting from users, preparers, and the accounting profession," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(1), pages 143-164, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:ijodag:v:21:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41310-023-00206-3
    DOI: 10.1057/s41310-023-00206-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41310-023-00206-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41310-023-00206-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alan Richardson & Burkard Eberlein, 2011. "Legitimating Transnational Standard-Setting: The Case of the International Accounting Standards Board," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 98(2), pages 217-245, January.
    2. Bernard, Darren & Burgstahler, David & Kaya, Devrimi, 2018. "Size management by European private firms to minimize proprietary costs of disclosure," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 94-122.
    3. Yinghua Li & Yupeng Lin & Liandong Zhang, 2018. "Trade Secrets Law and Corporate Disclosure: Causal Evidence on the Proprietary Cost Hypothesis," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(1), pages 265-308, March.
    4. Annalisa Prencipe, 2004. "Proprietary costs and determinants of voluntary segment disclosure: evidence from Italian listed companies," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(2), pages 319-340.
    5. Bhimani, Alnoor & Bond, David & Sivabalan, Prabhu, 2019. "Does greater user representation lead to more user focused standards? An empirical investigation of IASB’s approach to standard setting," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 91196, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Keith A. Houghton & Christine Jubb & Michael Kend, 2011. "Materiality in the context of audit: the real expectations gap," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 26(6), pages 482-500, June.
    7. Marianne Jennings & Dan C. Kneer & Philip M. J. Reckers, 1993. "The Significance of Audit Decision Aids and Precase Jurists' Attitudes on Perceptions of Audit Firm Culpability and Liability," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 9(2), pages 489-507, March.
    8. Mohammad Badrul Haider & Kimitaka Nishitani, 2020. "Views of corporate managers on assurance of sustainability reporting: evidence from Japan," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 17(1), pages 1-19, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Bui, Dien Giau & Chen, Yehning & Chen, Yan-Shing & Lin, Chih-Yung, 2023. "Managerial ability and financial statement disaggregation decisions," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. Stenka, Renata, 2022. "Beyond intentionality in accounting regulation: Habitual strategizing by the IASB," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    3. Nadia Gulko & Catriona Hyde, 2022. "Corporate perspectives on CSR disclosure: audience, materiality, motivations," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(4), pages 389-412, December.
    4. Thereza RS de Aguiar, 2018. "Turning accounting for emissions rights inside out as well as upside down," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 36(1), pages 139-159, February.
    5. Andrea Melis & Silvia Carta, 2010. "Does accounting regulation enhance corporate governance? Evidence from the disclosure of share-based remuneration," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 14(4), pages 435-446, November.
    6. Yan Li & Yutao Li, 2020. "The effect of trade secrets protection on disclosure of forward‐looking financial information," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(3-4), pages 397-437, March.
    7. Xiaoli Zhao & Pavel Castka & Cory Searcy, 2020. "ISO Standards: A Platform for Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-19, November.
    8. S. Susela Devi & R. Helen Samujh, 2015. "The Political Economy of Convergence: The Case of IFRS for SMEs," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 25(2), pages 124-138, June.
    9. Stephen Bahadar & Muhammad Nadeem & Rashid Zaman, 2023. "Toxic chemical releases and idiosyncratic return volatility: A prospect theory perspective," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(2), pages 2109-2143, June.
    10. Angus W. H. Yip & William Y. P. Yu, 2023. "The Quality of Environmental KPI Disclosure in ESG Reporting for SMEs in Hong Kong," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-26, February.
    11. Francesco De Luca & Jenice Prather-Kinsey, 2018. "Legitimacy theory may explain the failure of global adoption of IFRS: the case of Europe and the U.S," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 22(3), pages 501-534, September.
    12. Philipp Borgstedt & Ann-Marie Nienaber & Bernd Liesenkötter & Gerhard Schewe, 2019. "Legitimacy Strategies in Corporate Environmental Reporting: A Longitudinal Analysis of German DAX Companies’ Disclosed Objectives," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 158(1), pages 177-200, August.
    13. Rahman, Dewan & Kabir, Muhammad & Oliver, Barry, 2021. "Does exposure to product market competition influence insider trading profitability?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    14. Drahomir Klimsa & Robert Ullmann, 2023. "Threshold-dependent tax enforcement and the size distribution of firms: evidence from Germany," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(4), pages 1002-1035, August.
    15. Bravo, Francisco, 2016. "Forward-looking disclosure and corporate reputation as mechanisms to reduce stock return volatility," Revista de Contabilidad - Spanish Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 122-131.
    16. Marie Chavent & Yuan Ding & Linghui Fu & Herve Stolowy & Huiwen Wang, 2006. "Disclosure and determinants studies: An extension using the Divisive Clustering Method (DIV)," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(2), pages 181-218.
    17. Roland Königsgruber & Pietro Perotti & Oliver Schinnerl & Fanis Tsoligkas & David Windisch, 2021. "Product Market Competition and Firms’ Disclosure of Cross‐segment Differences in Performance," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 57(4), pages 709-736, December.
    18. Durocher, Sylvain & Picard, Claire-France & Dugal, Léa, 2024. "Giving sense to and making sense of OCI: When each component makes sense, but the whole does not," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    19. Canning, Mary & O'Dwyer, Brendan, 2016. "Institutional work and regulatory change in the accounting profession," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 1-21.
    20. Florence Cavelius, 2011. "Opening the "black box" How internal reporting systems contribute to the quality of financial disclosure," Post-Print hal-00869182, HAL.

    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:pal:ijodag:v:21:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41310-023-00206-3. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave.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.