Sustainability Reporting: Evidence From Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs)

Abstract

In recent years, the issue of environmental pollution and climate change has led the scientific debate to focus on social issues, environmental protection, and human rights, deepening the topic of sustainable economic development. To provide stakeholders evidence on economic, environmental, and social performance, all corporate organizations must supplement traditional financial reporting tools with Non-financial information, following numerous standards, frameworks, and guidelines. The topic of Non-financial disclosure is widely investigated with reference to industrial companies, while the financial institution sector represents a context that is still little explored. Indeed, financial institutions are significant promoters of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and even if their operations do not have direct impacts on the environment, they can encourage the allocation of their capital in socially responsible investments, thus contributing to the spread of sustainability culture in the financial system and among citizens. This paper analyzes the main sustainability frameworks, standards, and guidelines used by global systemically important banks (G-SIBs) for disclosure on environmental aspects along with social and governance factors, investigating the attention degree of financial institutions toward the sustainability issue.