Sustainable development reporting and sustainable financing: Challenges for small and medium enterprises

Abstract

In a dynamic business environment, the importance of doing business in accordance with the principles of sustainable development is recognized not only by large companies, but also by small and medium enterprises, which are the "driving force" of modern economies. Having in mind the commitment to socially responsible business and the requirements of the modern business environment, it is necessary to inform stakeholders about the impact of companies on society and the environment, as well as socially responsible activities that companies carry out due to changes in conditions and ways of doing business. Accordingly, it is necessary to implement integrated reporting, which would include, in addition to traditional financial, nonfinancial indicators of business performance. In order to adopt an internationally recognized methodology for evaluating the performance of sustainable development, certain initiatives have been taken by regulators, standard setters and professional associations. Due to their characteristics, small and medium-sized enterprises require special guidelines when compiling reports on sustainable development. The focus of this paper is on the challenges that these companies face in disclosing information on sustainable development indicators. Special attention is paid to the costs of this type of reporting, the lack of necessary resources and the ownership structure.