The Reliability of Cross-Border Corporate Sustainability Disclosures

Corporate sustainability disclosures are increasingly used to evaluate environmental performance, governance practices, and business risks across international markets. Yet greater reporting coverage does not necessarily produce more reliable or comparable information. This research examines differences in sustainability reporting frameworks, measurement boundaries, materiality requirements, and external assurance, drawing on evidence from the OECD, IFRS Foundation, EFRAG, and international assurance standard-setting bodies.

The study explores the relationship between IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards, European Sustainability Reporting Standards, and national implementation practices. It distinguishes disclosure availability from measurement reliability and independent verification, explaining why similar sustainability indicators may not support direct comparisons between companies operating under different regulatory conditions.