A Comparison of Corporate Sustainability Reporting in Europe and the Mena Region

Abstract

Corporate sustainability (CS) is becoming a strategic focus for large corporations globally. This chapter compares CS reporting in the Europe and MENA regions. A content analysis of the CS reports from large corporations in Europe and the MENA region is presented to explore the themes covered in their sustainability reports. More large corporations in Europe have been reporting CS longer than those in the MENA region, and more large corporations in the developed countries of Europe as compared to MENA region publish CS reports. In general, CS reporting in the MENA region and developing European countries is in its infancy. There is evidence of leadership structures being put in place to ensure that the board and senior management are involved in sustainable strategy development and are incentivized to monitor and ensure implementation of that strategy through financial rewards.