An analysis of the environmental information in international companies according to the new GRI standards

This research builds an index to analyze the type of environmental information reported by international companies and recorded in the Thomson Reuters database. We use the environmental information disclosed by 5414 international companies pertaining to 9 geographical areas. To build the environmental index, we use the statistical techniques categorical principal component analysis and partial triadic analysis, which provide a numerical value for specific environmental issues. We also examine whether companies' environmental information disclosure is adapted to the international standards of the 2016 Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), specifically the GRI 300 sustainability reporting standards on environment issues that take effect on July 1, 2018. In addition, we identify environmental disclosure based on geographical zones and industries. This index allows regulators, governments, and firms to encourage disclosure by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of firms' disclosure practices.