A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE ARCHITECTURE FOR INTERNATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING STANDARDS

Abstract

The present phase of global economic development is characterised by the increasing importance of sustainable development, higher standards of business transparency, and greater focus on the environmental, social, and governance aspects of corporate operations. The active development of international standards for sustainability reporting is a response to calls from investors, regulatory bodies, and society for improved disclosure of non-financial information. At the same time, the emergence of a large number of standards and initiatives, including GRI, SASB, TCFD, and ESRS, led to the complexity of their structure and the need for a systematic understanding of their interrelationships. Despite a significant body of academic research in the field of non-financial reporting, the issues of systematising and summarising the architecture of international standards remain insufficiently explored. The relevance of the research topic is defined by the need to form a comprehensive understanding of the architecture of international sustainability reporting standards, which is an important prerequisite for improving the quality of management, ensuring business transparency, and integrating national enterprises into the global economic space.

The purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive academic understanding of the international sustainability reporting framework by conducting a systematic review, summarizing key approaches, principles, and interrelationships among the main standards, and determining their role in ensuring the transparency, comparability, and effectiveness of corporate non-financial reporting.

The research methodology is based on the comprehensive use of general scientific and specialized research methods. The method of systems analysis was applied to examine the systems of international sustainability reporting standards and to identify their role in ensuring transparency, comparability, and effectiveness. A comparative analysis was used to examine international non-financial reporting standards. Generalization methods were used to summarize the research findings, principles, and interrelationships between the main standards. The structural-logical method was used to establish cause-and-effect relationships between the main standards.

Results. The gradual transition from fragmented, voluntary initiatives to a comprehensive, regulated system for disclosing non-financial information reflects the evolution of sustainability reporting standards and the growing importance of ESG factors. The key approaches and interrelationships between the main non-financial reporting standards are summarized. It has been determined that the architecture of the standards is geared towards integrating non-financial reporting into the corporate governance system, where it serves as a tool for risk management, performance assessment and the creation of competitive advantages. Non-financial reporting is gradually transforming from an information tool into a vital mechanism for risk management, performance assessment, and the creation of competitive advantages.

Research prospects. The research findings outline promising directions for further academic development and the practical integration of the architecture of international non-financial reporting standards for enterprises in the transport sector. The priority is to develop mechanisms for implementing non-financial reporting standards in the operations of transport enterprises, regardless of their size.