Global Trends in Sustainability Reporting: A Malaysian Evidence

This study explores Malaysian listed companies’ trends in sustainability reporting between 2018 and 2022. The study focuses on economic, environmental, and social disclosures. The findings indicate an increase in total sustainability reporting from 2018 to 2022 with social reporting consistently leads, followed by economic, while environmental reporting remains the least disclosed. The study highlights the increasing volume of disclosures, regulatory influences, the adoption of sustainability frameworks, and ongoing challenges such as management focus and commitment, emphasis, influence, business strategy cost and assurance as the reasons of the trend.

Sustainability reporting, disclosure trends, global standards, regulation

1. Abdul Aziz, N. S. & Bidin, R. (2017). A review on the indicators disclosed in sustainability reporting of public listed companies in Malaysia, Journal of Human Capital Development, 10(2), 1-14. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Amran, A., Lee, S. P., & Devi, S. S. (2017). The influence of governance structure and strategic corporate social responsibility toward sustainability reporting quality. Business Strategy and the Environment, 23(4), pages 217-235. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Bakar, A. B. S. A., Ghazali, N. A. B. M., & Ahmad, M. B. (2019). Sustainability Reporting in Malaysia-The Extent and Quality. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(5), 816–835. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Bursa Malaysia. (2020). Sustainability Reporting Guide (2nd ed.). https://www.bursamalaysia.com [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Clarkson, P. M., Li, Y., Richardson, G. D., & Vasvari, F. P. (2008). Revisiting the relation between environmental performance and environmental disclosure: An empirical analysis. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 33(4–5), 303–327. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Ding, H., & Wang, Z. (2025). The Influence of Institutional Pressures on Environmental, Social, and Governance Responsibility Fulfillment: Insights from Chinese Listed Firms. Sustainability, 17(9), 3982. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17093982 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). (2021). Consolidated Set of GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards 2021. https://www.globalreporting.org [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Hahn, R., & Kühnen, M. (2013). Determinants of sustainability reporting: A review of results, trends, theory, and opportunities in an expanding field of research. Journal of Cleaner Production, 59, 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.07.005 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Hahn, R., & Lülfs, R. (2014). Legitimizing negative aspects in GRI-oriented sustainability reporting: A qualitative analysis of corporate disclosure strategies. Journal of Business Ethics, 123(3), 401–420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1801-4 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Kasbun, N., Teh, B. H., & Ahmad, N. (2016). Sustainability reporting and financial performance of Malaysian public listed companies. International Journal Institutions and Economies, 8(4), 78-93. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. KPMG. (2022). The Time Has Come: KPMG Survey of Sustainability Reporting 2022. https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2022/11/kpmg-survey-of-sustainability-reporting.html [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Mansor, S. M., Hassan, M. S., Jaffar, R. & Abdullah, M. (2023). The Role of Integrated Reporting Quality and Sustainability Governance in Stakeholder Value Creation, Asian Journal of Accounting and Governance, 20, 48–63. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Md Daud, S. A. M., Abdullah, A., Mohd Fahmi, F., & Najid, N. A. (2023). Environmental Disclosure Trend Among Malaysian Plantation Companies, Issues in Social and Environmental Accounting, 1(Special):13-33 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Muttakin, M. B., Mihret, D. G., & Khan, A. (2018). Corporate Political Connection and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosures. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 31, 725-744. https://doi.org/10.1108/aaaj-06-2015-2078. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Rao, K., & Tilt, C. (2016). Board diversity and CSR reporting: An Australian study. Meditari Accountancy Research, 24(2), 182–210. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-08-2015-0052 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Thompson, P., & Zakaria, Z. (2004). Corporate social responsibility reporting in Malaysia. Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 13, 125–136 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Wan Muhammad, W. M. & Wasiuzzaman, S. (2019). Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosure, competitive advantage and performance of firms in Malaysia, Cleaner Environmental Systems, 2, 100015 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Zainal, D., Zulkifli, N., & Saleh, Z. (2013). Corporate social responsibility reporting in Malaysia: A comparison between Shariah and non-Shariah approved firms. Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research, 15(7), 1035–1046. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Eco-Microcredit and Rural Transformation: The Mediating Role of Sustainable Farming Practices and the Moderating Effect of Financial Literacy on Household Sustainability
• Comparative Analysis of Traditional and Innovative Methods for Rare Earth Element Extraction