Published Online:July 2025
Product Name:The IUP Journal of Accounting Research & Audit Practices
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJARAP270725
DOI:10.71329/IUPJARAP/2025.24.3.581-600
Author Name:V Usha Kiran, Bunga Dinesh and Tadoori Gattaiah
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Finance
Download Format:PDF
Pages:581-600
The paper examines environmental disclosure practices at 149 Indian manufacturing firms listed on the BSE 500 index between 2016 and 2024, a critical period that includes India’s adoption of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and implementation of the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR) mandate. Using structured disclosure index methodology, the paper examines annual reports in three environmental categories: climate change (carbon emissions, fossil fuel reliance), natural capital depletion (water stress, biodiversity) and pollution and waste. To determine firm-level and sectorwide transparency metrics, each disclosure item is given a score (0 = absent, 1 = partial, and 2 = comprehensive). Despite regulatory requirements, descriptive statistics show ongoing gaps in reporting on pollution and waste, with notable variance between subsectors (e.g., chemicals scoring higher than textiles). By measuring longitudinal changes in a high-impact industry, comparing India’s progress to SDGs 12 (responsible consumption) and 13 (climate action) and providing policymakers with useful information to improve BRSR enforcement, the study adds to the body of knowledge on ESG. The findings highlight the necessity for uniform granular reporting, especially for companies with lower disclosure ratings.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors gained significant attention in India by 2010, with formal initiatives and regulations specifically related to ESG investing and reporting emerging more prominently since 2018.