Based on a survey of climate change experts in different stakeholder groups and interviews
with corporate climate change managers, this study provides insights into the gap between
what information stakeholders expect, and what Australian corporations disclose. This paper
focuses on annual reports and sustainability reports with specific reference to the disclosure
of climate change-related corporate governance practices. The findings culminate in the
refinement of a best practice index for the disclosure of climate change-related corporate
governance practises. Interview results indicate that the low levels of disclosures made by
Australian companies may be due to a number of factors. A lack of proactive stakeholder
engagement and an apparent preoccupation with financial performance and advancing
shareholders interest, coupled with a failure by managers to accept accountability, seems to
go a long way to explaining low levels of disclosure.
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