Evolution Of Esg Reporting Within The Canadian Energy Industry

Abstract

Sustainability reporting for non-financial disclosure is not new, but recently environmental, social, governance (ESG) publications have become critical to attracting investors. In particular, industry-specific disclosures on topics such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have become more prevalent as environment, climate change, and social consciousness are highlighted in mainstream media. In addition, investors are calling for standardization of ESG disclosure by the Canadian energy industry. In this report, I consider the progress made in ESG framework standardization and the type and accuracy of GHG disclosures by conducting a content analysis of 26 Canadian energy company ESG reports. I find that the industry has shown an increase in its due diligence in many aspects of ESG reporting, including the disclosure of Scope 1 and 2 emissions footprints and intensities. Improvements in reporting are needed for metrics such as Scope 3 emissions, GHG quantification methodologies and data verification, and emission reduction strategies.