Assignment background

Environmental (Social) and sustainability reporting (CSR) is now a major issue around the world.

There are even global guidelines for sustainability reporting (the Global Reporting Initiative-GRI). However, CSR reporting is still un voluntary choice of an individual reporting therefore there is considerable variation in information reported by different companies. This has undermined the consistency and comparability of information disclosed by various companies making interested users to difficult assess the their social and environmental performance.

Please complete the following tasks:

Task 1

Provide a report summarising the purpose of Corporate Sustainability Reporting (CSR) by referring to the Global Reporting Initiatives' (GRI) Sustainability Framework (G3.1).

[Note: you may include in your summary report - a clear description of what sustainability reporting is, what the GRI is doing, and critical assessment the success of their effort to date].

Task 2

Identify two ASX Top-500 companies multinational companies and compare their reporting on economic, environmental and social aspects in their annual reports and standalone sustainability reports for the reporting year ending 2014.

(available at http://www.slideshare.net/sharetrading/list-of-top-500-australian-companies)

[Note: Download their annual report for the reporting period ending 2014 to complete these tasks]

Task 3

Discuss how the two companies (discussed in Task 2 above) managed 'legitimacy' through reporting (i.e. CSR information disclosure) from the perspectives of systems oriented theories.

[Note: Systems oriented theories include Legitimacy theory, Stakeholder theory and Institutional theory]

Citation and referencing

This is investigative research assignment and therefore, use of literature and appropriate citation and reference is expected. Make sure that you use types of literatures that are considered credible and authentic. They may include:

- Journal article (peer reviewed only)
- Book
- Thesis
- Government regulation or policy document
- Court case (decisions)
- CPA and CIAA article
- Media report
- New paper article