Corporate Sustainability Reporting: Empirical Evidence From Ghana

Abstract

Global concerns have over the years, been raised over the impact that business operations have on the environment. In response to these growing concerns, companies have begun to provide comprehensive disclosures on the environmental and social impact of their business operations. In this study, we sought to review the trends in disclosure practices as well as examine the extent to which companies are complying with the sustainability reporting guidelines in Ghana. The contextual data from the Akoben special audit on industrial operations supplemented with face-to-face interviews with important stakeholder groups served as the main data source for the study. The findings of this study showed that, even though the general trend in the environmental disclosures has increased over-time, the overall performance ratings of business operations did not meet the standards required for environmental disclosures. Based on the findings, we recommend that in the design and implementation of the rating programme, a broad consultation and active participation of all stakeholder groups must be encouraged to ensure the effectiveness of the programme. Additionally, the regulatory institutions need to be adequately resource by the government in order to strengthen their enforcement and monitoring roles.

Sustainability Reporting and Assets Quality of Listed Deposit Money Banks in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria

“…Deposit money banks in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria are characterized by institutions operating inefficiencies and dilapidated infrastructures and highly defective systems, where corrupt and unethical practices have been intuitionally entrenched as a way of life (Pobbi et al, 2020). The lack of sustainability reporting in the banking system in the region has heightened criminality and impeded the visibility of the banking corporate performance in deposit money banks (Asuquo et al, 2018).…”

“…Due to shortcomings in operational excellence and delays in customer services in Ghana and other some other African countries, banks have recently experienced setbacks in corporate performance issues and limitations in speedy and accurate service delivery and product quality, customer intimacy issues, customer satisfaction and retention challenges, and more (Akindehinde et al, 2022;Helfaya & Moussa, 2017). Pobbi et al (2020) noted that there is evidence of uncertainties, weak dynamism, volatility and impermanence of the new competitive advantage, as the banking industry generally going through striking changes with the advent of new technologies, accounting software and the increased significance of technological innovations geared toward meeting the global demands (Malovic, et al, 2019). These changes have with them new challenges and problems for the banks to rekindle validating the old traditional models towards generating and creating value for the new order of corporate performances (Al-Amin et al, 2018).…”

Examining Sustainability Education in Economics, Accounting and Finance in Tertiary Institutions in Ghana

“…Linking academia with industry to develop the requisite labor force in the industry is the epitome of this study, as far as sustainability is concerned. Pobbi et al (2020) reviewed the trends in disclosure practices and examined the extent to which companies in Ghana comply with sustainability reporting guidelines. Their findings show that the general trend in environmental disclosure increased over time.…”