A reflection on the voluntary disclosure of sustainable development goals: The role of sustainability committee

Abstract

Limited research explores the private sector's role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly regarding factors influencing disclosure practices in emerging economies. This study addresses this gap by investigating the voluntary disclosure of SDGs and the impact of the sustainability committee (SC) on such disclosure in Malaysia. Panel data from large publicly listed Malaysian companies spanning from 2016 to 2020 is employed. Manual content analysis extracts the SDGs-related information from the annual reports. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analytical models to examine the effect of the sustainability committee's existence on the SDGs disclosure. Findings reveal an increasing trend in Malaysian companies' commitment to SDGs, with a stronger emphasis on social goals compared to environmental ones. The results of the T-test, fixed effects, and two-stage least squares regressions demonstrate significantly higher and more detailed SDG disclosure in companies with SCs compared to those without SCs. These findings suggest that SCs facilitate the integration of SDGs into corporate strategies and business models. Sensitivity analyses have not altered our findings. This research provides useful insights for policymakers and practitioners regarding corporate SDGs disclosure practices and the role of sustainability committees in enhancing such practices.