A Literature Review of Sustainability Reporting by Manufacturing Companies

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to analyze various sustainability reporting standards and to systematize knowledge about various reporting techniques and tools, indicating potential benefits and risks arising from them. Design/Research questions: The following research problem was formulated in the article: What are the challenges and benefits of implementing international sustainability standards (ESG) in various industries, as well as their impact on the effectiveness of companies' activities in the field of sustainable development? The following research hypotheses were also adopted: H1: Implementation of sustainability standards is associated with challenges related to resource allocation and the risk of greenwashing. H2: Implementation of sustainability standards positively affects the level of stakeholder engagement and improves the company's image on the market. Findings: The conducted analysis allowed for drawing the following conclusion:, in the preparation of a new method of SD reporting, it would be advisable to move away from ambiguously defined, descriptive, discretionary and subjective indicators, the development of a model and method for assessing sustainable development should be based on objective data from, for example, an ERP system, it is reasonable to create an IT tool that would allow manufacturing companies to quickly perform self-assessment of sustainable development. According to the authors of the article, such an approach would break down some of the barriers that prevent manufacturing companies from making the decision to be sustainable. Practical Recommendations: The study shows that effective sustainability reporting requires continuous reflection, innovation and collaboration between different stakeholders. Companies should be proactive in their actions and strive for transparency, which will ultimately contribute to achieving real sustainability on a global scale. Originality/Value: The study is an attempt to fill the gap in the literature concerning the presentation and summary of the actual advantages and disadvantages of different sustainability reporting methods. The conclusions drawn from the study inspired the authors of the article to attempt, in further research, to standardize the preparation of sustainability reports together with the indication of key indicators and measures.