79% of Australian ASX200 companies adopt integrated reporting, KPMG study finds
KPMG published their seventh annual survey of corporate reporting trends in Australia yesterday [10 November 2020], which is particularly interesting in light of the impact of Covid-19 and the push from regulators and investors for enhanced reporting disclosures on climate and pre/non-financial risks.
The survey reveals that a large proportion of Australia’s largest listed companies on the ASX200 and ASX50 have now adopted integrated reporting principles when drafting their 2020 annual reports. Featuring interviews with investment managers and asset owners, the survey shows how integrated reporting has enabled these companies to improve the quality of disclosures across a wide variety of factors. 96% of ASX200 companies have been able to clearly report the ways in which they have protected their employees and/or customers during the pandemic (since March 2020). 60% of ASX200 companies and 85% of ASX50 also reported enhanced climate disclosures, especially as a result of the devastating 2019/20 Australian bushfires.
Overall, 79% of ASX200 companies and over 90% of ASX50 companies are focusing their reporting on long-term value creation for their investors and stakeholders, as opposed to short-term financial earnings. These findings confirm the accelerated shift in companies towards integrated reporting and its ability to create more meaningful, qualitative reports.