Measuring the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals by companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in the light of the UNCTAD-ISAR guidance

Abstract

Purpose: The article has two related purposes. The first is to identify the indicators used to measure the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the integrated or non-financial reports of companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) using the methodology of the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Accounting and Reporting Standards (UNCTAD-ISAR). The second objective is to determine the factors that affect the number of SDG indicators disclosed by listed companies.Methodology/approach: The study covers the 62 reports of listed companies on the WSE for 2020 and 55 reports for 2019 (random selection). The following research methods were used: analysis of the content of reports and selected methods of descriptive and mathematical statistics (linear multiple regression and nonparametric U Mann-Whitney test).Findings: The companies disclosed, on average, few SDG indicators in their integrated report or non-financial report, i.e., 11 of the 33 adopted in the UNCTAD-ISAR guidance. The most indicators of this type included in the integrated report of a very large company was 21. The study results indicate that the number of disclosed measures of SDGs depends on company size, the type of report, and the company’s activity in controversial industries. Including a company in the WIG-ESG index does not affect the number of measures presented by the company.Research limitations/implications: The limitation of the study is the small research sample and the inclusion of only companies listed on the WSE.Originality/value: A novelty in the study is the inclusion of the UNCTAD-ISAR guidance and linking disclosures by companies in their external reports with the measurement of implementation of global SDGs.