GoldenBee Research on Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in China 2016 was released

In the 9th International Conference on CSR Reporting in China held in Shanghai on December 1, GoldenBee Research on Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in China 2016 was released. This report shows the systematic assessment and analysis on 1328 CSR reports from 2,613 reports collected by the end of October 2016 and discloses the new trends of CSR reporting in 2016:
Finding 1：There is evidence to suggest that the quality of published CSR reports improved in 2016, with the comprehensive index showing an increase in quality of 30.30% against 2009 results. There was also a substantial increase in the number of quality reports being published, with 60.47% more reports achieving an above “good” rating.
Finding 2：To improve the materiality focus of their CSR reports, enterprises are emphasizing the management and standardization of the compilation process as well as the identification of stakeholders and issues.
Finding 3：The readability and innovativeness of reports has increased more than 40% year-on-year. The majority of enterprises now follow social trends and regularly optimize the structure and design of CSR reports to be more reader-friendly.
Finding 4：Enterprises continue to disclose CSR performance insufficiently, particularly as relates to cross-industry indicators. Enterprises must also enhance the comparability of CSR reports. SOEs and leading enterprises are better at disclosing information.
Finding 5: Reports continue to disclose sufficient information about employees, communities and government organizations. The disclosure of information on the environment, suppliers, counterparts and regulatory institutions continues to increase, and disclosures to counterparts and regulatory institutions is rising prominently.
Finding 6：The reports of leading enterprises and SOEs have steadily improved. 41.69% of leading reports have an “excellent” rating and 45.86% of SOEs reports have a “good” rating.
Finding 7：Reports released by companies listed on different stock exchanges show different levels of quality and disclose information differently and in different areas. Reports issued by the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK) are relatively high quality due to outstanding innovation and greater attention to the disclosure of management information. Listed companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges (SSE/SZSE) emphasize the disclosure of responsible practices by shareholders.
Finding 8：Prominent industry features such as the structure of the CSR report, topic selection and design are improving. Power and real estate industry reports are of relatively high quality, with recent improvements to the quality of real estate industry reports being noteworthy.
Finding 9：Improvements to CSR management planning is needed. Some reports disclose qualified CSR management planning information, economic practices, and social and environmental responsibility but improvements to the disclosure of quantified data and information is still needed.
Finding 10：Reports are becoming more international. The number of reports compiled in accordance with international CSR standards and guidelines has increased significantly, and the number of English language reports is on the rise.
And the report also provided the following suggestions—
Suggestion 1：Leading enterprises must encourage companies to release CSR reports and improve report quality.
Suggestion 2：Emphasize performance information management and deepen the disclosure of vertical, industry-level and cross-industry comparable data.
Suggestion 3：Enhance interactions with stakeholders, support stakeholders to engage in the reporting process and improve the materiality of reports.
Suggestion 4：Deepen the disclosure of planned content, and disclose quantified planning information by referring to the strategic plan so as to tap into the value of the planning process.
Suggestion 5：Communication and mutual learning in CSR reporting between listed and unlisted companies, as well as between enterprises listed on the same and different stock exchanges should be promoted to improve the quality of CSR reports by listed companies.
Suggestion 6：Follow development trends and improve the global presence of reports.
In addition, the conference also introduced the new trends of CSR reporting in Europe and Africa, showing its professionalism and internationalization.