SUSTAINABLE REPORTING FOR A RESILIENT, RESPONSIBLE AND RELIABLE FUTURE: CASE OF INFOSYS

Abstract

The most severe risks on a global scale over the next 10 years include climate action failure, extreme weather, biodiversity loss, human environmental damage, natural resource crises (Environmental) and social cohesion erosion, livelihood crises, infectious diseases (Societal) (The Global Risks Report -17th addition, 2022). Businesses today as well as the society as a whole cannot overlook these risks as they have an impact on sustainability. Sustainability reporting has become popular, particularly in the last decade, emerging as a result of the evolution of environmental and corporate social responsibility reports  (Kuzey & Uyar, 2017) when global sustainability standard setters such as Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC or ), Climate Development Project (CDP), etc. developed structured frameworks, topics and metrics to help companies report material sustainability information to their stakeholders  (Partners, 2022).This paper aims to study ESG initiatives and effectiveness resulting responsible actions by all social factors through an assessment based on national ranking system for ESG disclosures and sustainability in Indian context. Infosys has been chosen to study as it has been aligning its initiatives with regulations on ESG and such investments made by the company attracts socially conscious investors and create value within their portfolio.  On comparing Infosys performance with top ten companies highlights that Infosys has to go a long way in terms of social performance.  ESG structures will serve Infosys as a potential benchmark to the Indian corporate sector and emerging world towards spreading awareness and achievement of sustainable development goals. 

Keywords: ESG, SDGs, Sustainability JEL Classification E