Name: Mohd Shoeb & Mohsina Hayat
Country: India

Year: 2022
Volume: Volume-9, Issue-2 (July-December)
Page Number: 39-60

ABSTRACT:
It is a study of the way in which Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) metrics are being
incorporated into corporate accounting systems through incorporation of bibliometric
evidence and empirical investigation of sustainability reporting in emerging markets.
Although there has been an increasing regulatory and stakeholder pressure on credible SDG disclosures, there remains a challenge in transferring the SDG commitments to measurable, comparable and audible accounting indicators. To overcome this limitation, the research paper is mixed-method. To determine the prevalent themes of research, trends in methodologies, and knowledge gaps, a bibliometric analysis of SDG-related sustainability reporting and accounting literature published during the period of 2015-24 is performed using the Lens data. Second, an empirical study with secondary data collected in corporate sustainability and annual reports of a chosen set of emerging market companies is conducted to evaluate the level of the SDG measures integration in accounting mechanisms. The measure of SDG disclosure intensity is analyzed by descriptive statistics, such as mean, median, and measures of dispersion, whereas the interdependence between SDG measures is analyzed through correlation analysis to assess the degree of interdependence between SDG measurements, firm characteristics, and financial performance variables. The results indicate the presence of a high degree of variation in the SDG metric adoption, where the adoption is stronger in larger companies and in those that are exposed to international reporting frameworks. Nonetheless, the discrepancies in the measurement practices and a low level of
assurance preparedness present structural flaws within the existing reporting systems. The research adds to the accounting literature by suggesting a systematic approach to the inclusion of SDG indicators into the corporate accounting operations and comments on its implications on assurance based on the new standard settings like ISSA 5000. The findings provide useful information to standard-setters, auditors, and policy-makers who aim to enhance the usefulness and credibility of SDG disclosures in emerging market situations.

Keyword: SDG Metrics, Corporate Accounting Systems, Bibliometric, Sustainability
Reporting, Emerging Markets