Sustainability disclosure in some form is provided by 87% of emerging markets companies, with South Africa the overall leader, according to a study by KLD Research and Analytics for the Social Investment Research Analyst Network.
South Africa had six companies meeting all five criteria for sustainability reporting, accounting for 75% of the eight companies in the country that were studied, according to a joint statement about the research.
China lagged on sustainability reporting, with three companies meeting none of the five criteria and 25% of Chinese companies studied met all criteria.
The SIRAN study examined 75 companies in seven emerging markets, including Brazil, India, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan, and focused on the oil and natural gas, metals and mining, and telecommunications industries. Sustainability reporting provides details on a company’s environmental, social and governance performance and initiatives for improvement in these areas. SIRAN is a working group of the Social Investment Forum, an association of some 500 social investment professionals and institutions.
