Author(s):

Abstract:
The aim of the paper is to compare Corporate Sustainability Reporting according to GRI-Guidelines in the Czech Republic with reports published worldwide. Main objective of Global Reporting Initiative is to create generally applicable recommendations for reporting on sustainable development of organization. Growing interest in sustainability instruments and their communication towards company stakeholders has given rise to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting. Corporate Sustainability Reporting is a part of a trend incorporating sustainability into organizations’ management. In the Czech Republic, there is a growing interest in Corporate Sustainability Reporting both on side of companies and their stakeholders. The paper aims to analyse companies´ practical experience with implementation of GRI reporting and to evaluate a level of these reports with reports of foreign companies. The informative value of this comparison is limited by the fact that only one Czech company does reporting according to GRI. To compare the quality of the sustainability report published by the Czech Coal, a company operating in the mining industry, a study involving comparable reports from the same industry published by companies in other parts of the world was performed. In the study, both quantitative methods and basic qualitative evaluation methods were used. The performed study shows that the quality of Corporate Sustainability Report of the Czech company is very good and it was rated above average number of points in comparison with Corporate Sustainability Reports issued by foreign companies. Based on the research results a recommendation to Czech organizations can be made. Czech organizations should take an advantage of positive aspects of the GRI sustainability reporting framework, and thus get closer to the worldwide trend. Corporate Sustainability Reporting might help Czech companies and other organizations to improve their position in negotiation with state authorities, local governments and other institutions and it might increase attractiveness for potential investors and international cooperation.

Key words:
Reporting, Corporate Sustainability Reporting, Global Reporting Initiative, Czech Republic

Date of abstract submission:
22.06.2012.

Number of visits:
494

Conference:
REDETE 2012

Applied paper from author