Hållbarhet är idag ett högaktuellt ämne och svenska bolag är bland de bättre i världen på att redovisa sitt hållbarhetsarbete. Hållbarhetsredovisning har länge varit frivilligt och det kan vara svårt att se de bakomliggande motiven till bolagens frivilliga redovisning. Om motiven bakom den frivilliga redovisningen är svårbedömda minskar möjligheterna för intressenter att ta välinformerade investeringsbeslut. Genom en kvantitativ undersökning på svenska börsnoterade bolag är syftet med studien att undersöka hur branschtillhörighet, storlek och lönsamhet påverkar mängd hållbarhetsrelaterad information bolaget förmedlar. I den multivariata regressionsanalysen finner vi positiva samband mellan mängd hållbarhetsredovisning och de faktorer som undersökts vilket ligger i linje med tidigare forskning. Det starkaste variabelsambandet är det mellan storlek och mängd hållbarhetsredovisning. Däremot uppmättes inte signifikant samband för variabeln lönsamhet.

Title: International standards in sustainability reports: The differences in applicationbetween the EU and the USA. Level: Bachelor Authors: Anna Wallberg & Sofia Lundgren Supervisor: Jan SvanbergDate: 2024 – January Background: Non-financial accounting and reporting is relevant in today's societybecause society has become more aware and involved in sustainability issues. Researchers and decision-makers have difficulty agreeing on what is essential in nonfinancial reporting, thus different methods have arisen from different directives, whichresult in complicated consequences. Purpose: To analyze information within non-financial reporting in the US, and examinedifferences in the use of methods. The study is based on GRI standards against SASB'sguidelines. Method: The study uses a quantitative method and a deductive approach to examinenon-financial information from the US. Results & Conclusion: Policies and objectives are equally essential between GRI andSASB, however, a difference can be detected in the substantial effects that are reported. The study found a clear contrast in the materiality of the non-financial reports, and theydepend on the direction the standardization organizations choose to focus on. Contribution: The study has contributed to the research area by showing that there arelarge differences in information, regarding the substantial effects in environmentalreporting regarding the non-financial reports. Continued research: One recommendation is to carry out an in-depth study, whichexamines the underlying factors why companies choose not to report all substantialeffects in their non-financial reports. Keywords: Corporate social responsibility (CSR), ESG, SASB, Global reportinginitiative (GRI), Sustainability reporting / Titel: Internationella standarder inom hållbarhetsrapporter: Skillnaderna inomtillämpningen GRI och SASB:s ramverk i USA Nivå: Examensarbete på grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Anna Wallberg och Sofia Lundgren Handledare: Jan Svanberg Datum: 2024 - Januari Bakgrund: Icke-finansiell redovisning och rapportering är aktuellt i dagens samhälle pågrund av att samhället har blivit mer medvetet och involverad i hållbarhetsfrågor. Forskare samt beslutsfattare har svårt att enas om vad som är väsentligt inom ickefinansiell rapportering, därmed har olika metoder uppstått från skilda direktiv, somresulterar i komplicerade konsekvenser. Syfte: Att analysera upplysningar inom icke-finansiell rapportering i USA, samtundersöka skillnader inom användandet av metoder. Studien utgår från GRI-standarderkontra SASB:s riktlinjer. Metod: Studien använder sig av en kvantitativ metod samt en deduktiv ansats för attundersöka icke-finansiell information från USA. Resultat och slutsats: Policys och mål är likvärdigt väsentlig mellan GRI och SASB,dock kan skillnader upptäckas i de substantiella effekterna som påverkar och rapporteras. Studien upptäckte en tydlig kontrast när det gäller väsentligheten i de ickefinansiella rapporterna, och dessa beror på den inriktningstandardiseringsorganisationerna väljer att fokusera på. Examensarbetets bidrag: Studien har bidragit till forskningsområdet genom att visa attdet finns stora skillnader inom upplysningar, när det gäller de substantiella effekterna imiljörapportering beträffande de icke-finansiella rapporterna. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: En rekommendation är att uträtta en fördjupande studie,som undersöker de bakomliggande faktorerna till varför företag väljer att inte rapporteraalla substantiella effekter i sina icke-finansiella rapporter. Nyckelord: CSR, ESG, SASB, GRI, hållbarhetsrapportering

Thinking sustainably is becoming increasingly important among companies. Today, there are demands from both stakeholders and the law to conduct sustainable operations. Companies have a social and ethical responsibility to achieve competitive advantage and a good corporate reputation. This is one reason why more and more companies today establish sustainability reports for their operations. It can be questioned whether the sustainability report is sufficient or if it is deficient. This study describes and explains the content of the sustainability report by analyzing the adequacy of the report and how it may develop in the near future. The essay is based on interviews with eleven respondents who are divided into four professional groups, accountants, companies, investors and academics. These professional groups have contributed an external and internal perspective to the sustainability report, which has provided a deeper understanding of the subject. The essay is based on a qualitative method with a deductive approach. There, the data material has been analyzed with the help of the theory section in order to be able to answer the essay's purpose and questions. The conclusion of the study is that the sustainability report is deficient, which is due to a lack of framework and regulation. The new regulation and framework of the future is well needed, but there is a clear doubt about the implementation.

O desenvolvimento sustentável tem sido um grande desafio global e as empresas têm grande participação nesse processo, uma vez que movimentam a economia e geram empregos, consomem matérias-primas e poluem o meio ambiente. As grandes corporações são as que causam os maiores danos, mas podem contribuir para alcançar os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) e suas prioridades globais. A indústria da construção civil, especificamente, desempenha importante papel econômico e é responsável por um consumo significativo de recursos naturais e por um impacto ambiental bastante expressivo. Coibidas por pressões externas, de regulamentações, investidores e outras partes interessadas, as empresas do setor da construção civil têm feito seu relato de sustentabilidade de acordo com o modelo da Global Reporting Iniciative (GRI), que incentiva as empresas a definirem quais questões relativas à sustentabilidade são mais relevantes para sua cadeia de valor, por meio do princípio de \"materialidade\". O principal objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar como a construção civil brasileira impacta positiva ou negativamente os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS), considerando os segmentos das construtoras, fábricas e cimenteiras. Um grupo de empresas representantes da construção civil brasileira foi selecionado para o estudo, que se dividiu em três etapas, sendo a primeira uma revisão sistemática de literatura a respeito dos impactos do setor da construção civil; a segunda uma análise de dados secundários, que são os relatórios de sustentabilidade das empresas estudadas; e a terceira uma etapa de entrevistas com especialistas do setor da construção civil. Na segunda etapa, com base nas matrizes individuais das empresas, foram elaboradas matrizes de materialidade unificadas para os segmentos do setor. Elas foram, então, validadas pelos especialistas da construção civil e comparadas com os dados encontrados na revisão sistemática de literatura. Após a validação das matrizes, conseguiu-se uma relação dos ODS que são impactados positiva ou negativamente pelos principais aspectos materiais do setor. Identificou-se que os principais ODS impactados positivamente são os de número 3, 4, 8 e 9; e os principais ODS impactados negativamente são os ODS 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 e 16. Isso indica que apenas 4, dentre os 17 ODS não são diretamente impactados pelos aspectos materiais do setor da construção civil brasileira. Sendo assim, foram feitas sugestões para mitigação dos impactos causados que incluem, principalmente, medidas governamentais, em relação à regulamentação e fiscalização; e empresariais, a respeito do modelo de gestão. Tendo como base o Guia SDG Compass, as empresas poderão desenvolver uma estratégia de gestão que tenha o propósito de colocar a sustentabilidade no centro da estratégia empresarial. Desta forma, as empresas poderão desenvolver um modelo de gestão voltado para o futuro e para o alcance dos ODS e, assim, melhorar o diálogo entre todas as partes interessadas. Além disso, este trabalho agrega conhecimento teórico ao avançar na exploração da literatura e da pesquisa sobre os ODS, uma vez que eles, tendo sido lançados no final de 2015, ainda se tratam de um campo recente de pesquisa. O trabalho também avança no delineamento do panorama em que o setor de construção civil brasileiro se encontra frente à sustentabilidade organizacional, aos relatos de sustentabilidade com base nas diretrizes da GRI e ao desenvolvimento de matrizes de materialidade. / Sustainable development has been a major global challenge and companies have a strong stake in this process as they move the economy and generate jobs, consume raw materials and pollute the environment. Large corporations are the ones causing the greatest damage, but they can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and their global priorities. The construction industry, specifically, plays an important economic role and is responsible for a significant consumption of natural resources and a very significant environmental impact. Constrained by external pressures, regulations, investors and other stakeholders, companies in the construction industry have made their sustainability report according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) model, which encourages companies to define which issues are more relevant to their value chain, it is the principle of \"materiality\". The main objective of this work was to identify how Brazilian civil construction positively or negatively impacts the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), considering the segments of construction companies, factories and cement companies. A group of companies representing Brazilian civil construction was selected for the study, which was divided into three stages, the first being a systematic review of the literature on the impacts of the civil construction sector; the second an analysis of secondary data, which are the sustainability reports of the companies studied; and the third a stage of interviews with specialists in the construction industry. In the second stage, based on the individual corporate matrices, unified materiality matrices were elaborated for the segments of the industry. They were then validated by construction specialists and compared with the data found in the systematic literature review. After the validation of the matrices, it could be made a list of the SDG that are positively or negatively impacted by the main material aspects of the sector. It was identified that the main positively impacted SDG are those of numbers 3, 4, 8 and 9; and the main SDG negatively impacted are SDG 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16. This indicates that only 4 of the 17 SDG are not directly impacted by the material aspects of the Brazilian construction industry. Thus, suggestions were made to mitigate the impacts caused, which mainly include governmental measures, in relation to regulation and inspection; and business, regarding the management model. Based on the SDG Compass Guide, companies can develop a management strategy that aims to put sustainability at the center of business strategy. In this way, companies will be able to develop a future-oriented management model and to achieve the SDG and thus improve the dialogue among all stakeholders. In addition, this work adds theoretical knowledge in advancing the exploration of literature and SDG research, since they were launched at the end of 2015 and are still a recent field of research. The work also advances in the outline of the scenario in which the Brazilian civil construction sector faces organizational sustainability, sustainability reports based on GRI guidelines and the development of materiality matrices.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T13:42:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Patricia Krauss Serrano.pdf: 1564474 bytes, checksum: 60351ac85983d55077adee196bddc250 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-08-15 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) stands out worldwide in order to minimize perceived quality problems in Sustainability Reports. One of GRI s initiatives is the development of environmental indicators. In the context of growing concern about environmental impacts of human activity, and considering environmental disclosure tool relevance for users depends on their relevance perception on the information it contains, the purpose of this study is: to analyze the perceived relevance by environmentalists non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Espírito Santo (Brazilian state) on the essential environmental indicators in GRI s third version. Questionnaires were sent to 52 NGOs, resulting in 24 responses. Indicators and respondents were analyzed according to their responses profiles. It was found that all the environmental indicators considered essential by GRI were mostly indicated as being of significant importance, by respondents, what means GRI has the ability to meet this segment of Brazilian society s expectations. The results signalize the GRI essential environmental indicators importance on sustainability reports, and that disclosure standards internationalization for basic global issues related to the environment does not diminish its importance to users, in specific locations / A iniciativa da ONG internacional Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) se destaca mundialmente, no intuito de minimizar problemas percebidos na qualidade das informações divulgadas em Relatórios de Sustentabilidade. Dentre as iniciativas da GRI, tem-se a elaboração de indicadores relacionados a aspectos ambientais. No contexto de crescente preocupação em relação aos impactos da atividade humana no meio ambiente, e considerando que a relevância dessa ferramenta de evidenciação ambiental depende da percepção por parte dos usuários da relevância das informações nela contidas, o objetivo deste trabalho é: analisar a percepção de organizações não governamentais (ONGs) ambientalistas atuantes no Espírito Santo acerca da relevância dos indicadores ambientais essenciais na terceira versão do modelo GRI. Para tanto, um questionário foi encaminhado a 52 ONGs, obtendo-se 24 respostas. Indicadores e respondentes foram analisados de acordo com os perfis de respostas atribuídas. Verificou-se que todos os indicadores ambientais considerados essenciais pela GRI foram julgados, majoritariamente, como de significativa relevância, pelas ONGs respondentes, ou seja, o modelo GRI tem capacidade de atender a anseios desse segmento da sociedade, atuante no Espírito Santo. Os resultados sinalizam a importância dos indicadores ambientais essenciais da GRI nos relatórios de sustentabilidade, e que a crescente internacionalização de padrões para evidenciação de aspectos relacionados a problemáticas globais relativas ao meio ambiente não diminui, necessariamente, a sua relevância para usuários em localidades específicas

O desenvolvimento sustentável tem sido um grande desafio global e as empresas têm grande participação nesse processo, uma vez que movimentam a economia e geram empregos, consomem matérias-primas e poluem o meio ambiente. As grandes corporações são as que causam os maiores danos, mas podem contribuir para alcançar os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) e suas prioridades globais. A indústria da construção civil, especificamente, desempenha importante papel econômico e é responsável por um consumo significativo de recursos naturais e por um impacto ambiental bastante expressivo. Coibidas por pressões externas, de regulamentações, investidores e outras partes interessadas, as empresas do setor da construção civil têm feito seu relato de sustentabilidade de acordo com o modelo da Global Reporting Iniciative (GRI), que incentiva as empresas a definirem quais questões relativas à sustentabilidade são mais relevantes para sua cadeia de valor, por meio do princípio de \"materialidade\". O principal objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar como a construção civil brasileira impacta positiva ou negativamente os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS), considerando os segmentos das construtoras, fábricas e cimenteiras. Um grupo de empresas representantes da construção civil brasileira foi selecionado para o estudo, que se dividiu em três etapas, sendo a primeira uma revisão sistemática de literatura a respeito dos impactos do setor da construção civil; a segunda uma análise de dados secundários, que são os relatórios de sustentabilidade das empresas estudadas; e a terceira uma etapa de entrevistas com especialistas do setor da construção civil. Na segunda etapa, com base nas matrizes individuais das empresas, foram elaboradas matrizes de materialidade unificadas para os segmentos do setor. Elas foram, então, validadas pelos especialistas da construção civil e comparadas com os dados encontrados na revisão sistemática de literatura. Após a validação das matrizes, conseguiu-se uma relação dos ODS que são impactados positiva ou negativamente pelos principais aspectos materiais do setor. Identificou-se que os principais ODS impactados positivamente são os de número 3, 4, 8 e 9; e os principais ODS impactados negativamente são os ODS 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 e 16. Isso indica que apenas 4, dentre os 17 ODS não são diretamente impactados pelos aspectos materiais do setor da construção civil brasileira. Sendo assim, foram feitas sugestões para mitigação dos impactos causados que incluem, principalmente, medidas governamentais, em relação à regulamentação e fiscalização; e empresariais, a respeito do modelo de gestão. Tendo como base o Guia SDG Compass, as empresas poderão desenvolver uma estratégia de gestão que tenha o propósito de colocar a sustentabilidade no centro da estratégia empresarial. Desta forma, as empresas poderão desenvolver um modelo de gestão voltado para o futuro e para o alcance dos ODS e, assim, melhorar o diálogo entre todas as partes interessadas. Além disso, este trabalho agrega conhecimento teórico ao avançar na exploração da literatura e da pesquisa sobre os ODS, uma vez que eles, tendo sido lançados no final de 2015, ainda se tratam de um campo recente de pesquisa. O trabalho também avança no delineamento do panorama em que o setor de construção civil brasileiro se encontra frente à sustentabilidade organizacional, aos relatos de sustentabilidade com base nas diretrizes da GRI e ao desenvolvimento de matrizes de materialidade. / Sustainable development has been a major global challenge and companies have a strong stake in this process as they move the economy and generate jobs, consume raw materials and pollute the environment. Large corporations are the ones causing the greatest damage, but they can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and their global priorities. The construction industry, specifically, plays an important economic role and is responsible for a significant consumption of natural resources and a very significant environmental impact. Constrained by external pressures, regulations, investors and other stakeholders, companies in the construction industry have made their sustainability report according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) model, which encourages companies to define which issues are more relevant to their value chain, it is the principle of \"materiality\". The main objective of this work was to identify how Brazilian civil construction positively or negatively impacts the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), considering the segments of construction companies, factories and cement companies. A group of companies representing Brazilian civil construction was selected for the study, which was divided into three stages, the first being a systematic review of the literature on the impacts of the civil construction sector; the second an analysis of secondary data, which are the sustainability reports of the companies studied; and the third a stage of interviews with specialists in the construction industry. In the second stage, based on the individual corporate matrices, unified materiality matrices were elaborated for the segments of the industry. They were then validated by construction specialists and compared with the data found in the systematic literature review. After the validation of the matrices, it could be made a list of the SDG that are positively or negatively impacted by the main material aspects of the sector. It was identified that the main positively impacted SDG are those of numbers 3, 4, 8 and 9; and the main SDG negatively impacted are SDG 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16. This indicates that only 4 of the 17 SDG are not directly impacted by the material aspects of the Brazilian construction industry. Thus, suggestions were made to mitigate the impacts caused, which mainly include governmental measures, in relation to regulation and inspection; and business, regarding the management model. Based on the SDG Compass Guide, companies can develop a management strategy that aims to put sustainability at the center of business strategy. In this way, companies will be able to develop a future-oriented management model and to achieve the SDG and thus improve the dialogue among all stakeholders. In addition, this work adds theoretical knowledge in advancing the exploration of literature and SDG research, since they were launched at the end of 2015 and are still a recent field of research. The work also advances in the outline of the scenario in which the Brazilian civil construction sector faces organizational sustainability, sustainability reports based on GRI guidelines and the development of materiality matrices.

The Master's thesis deals with the analysis of performance requirements of the standard GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) in selected companies. Standard GRI is considered as an internationally recognized tool for creating reports on corporate social responsibility (CSR). The theoretical part is initially focused on the characteristics of the concept of corporate social responsibility and the included areas, afterwards it describes variety of options how to assess CSR activities. The largest space is devoted to the GRI standard and its most current version of guidelines for reporting G3.1. These guidelines are the background for analysis and evaluation of CSR reports. The result of the analysis is to find shortages and to summarize important steps which should be a guide for companies how to approach to the reporting in better and more efficient way.

The field of sustainability accounting and reporting has developed immensely during the past couple of decades. Various reporting guidelines, recommendations, and standards had hit the market recently. However, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has remained the most widely used framework for reporting sustainability and is considered a standard for reporting sustainability. Thus, using GRI 11: oil and gas standard as a proxy, the research was aimed to investigate, if standardization of sustainability reporting is perceived as an incentive, or poses a ceiling effect to potential sustainability reporting and performance. Thereby answering the following questions; (1) Is the organization willing to (or can) do more or less than that is required to be reported as per GRI Framework, in terms of reporting? (2) How does the company perceive the shift from GRI general standards to Sector-Specific Standards with respect to sustainability performanceA case study is conducted on an oil and gas EPC using qualitative research methodology. The data is collected through semi-structured interviews and three sustainability reports of the same organization. It was found that despite the apparent willingness of doing more than what is required to be reported by the standard, KPIs w.r.t. industry relevance are under-reported. Furthermore, it was found that GRI has proved to be an incentive for guiding the organization’s sustainability reporting. Even if the sector-specific standard/ guideline is considered a ceiling for sustainability reporting, the ceiling tends to be very high for the current performance of the organization.

Jämförbarhet i hållbarhetsrapporten är en nödvändighet för att informationen ska vara användbar för användarna. För att främja jämförbar information ska svenska företag följa hållbarhetslagen som bygger på EU-direktivet om hållbarhetsrapportering. Till sin hjälp kan företagen tillämpa internationella frivilliga ramverk som exempelvis Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). I och med att det finns ett flertal frivilliga ramverk att tillämpa kan företagen välja ifall dem vill följa något ramverk, med det utgör inget krav, för att uppfylla hållbarhetslagen. Detta utrymme av frivillighet bidrar till den stora variation i antalet resultatindikatorer som företagen lämnar upplysningar om i hållbarhetsrapporten, vilket gör att informationen inte blir jämförbar. Denna studie vill bidra med kunskap till forskningsfältet genom att (1) kartlägga jämförbarheten i hållbarhetsrapporter i form av hur utförligt företagen noterade på Stockholmsbörsen Large Cap tillämpar resultatindikatorer till rapporteringskravets kategorier och (2) förklara och analysera sambandet mellan företagens branschtillhörighet, företagens andel kvinnor i styrelsen och utförlighetsnivån i hållbarhetsrapporter som omfattas av hållbarhetslagen. För att besvara studiens syfte genomfördes en kvantitativ innehållsanalys av samtliga företag som uppfyllde kriterierna för hållbarhetsrapportering och GRI:s ramverk på Stockholmsbörsen Large Cap. Resultatet visade att båda sambanden var relativt svaga. Sambandet för företagens branschtillhörighet visade sig något starkare jämfört med andelen kvinnor i styrelsen. Det tyder på att det finns andra underliggande faktorer som påverkar jämförbarheten i hållbarhetsrapporten. / The comparability in the sustainability report is a necessity to serve its main purpose, which is to be useful for the stakeholders. To encourage comparable information in the sustainability report, Swedish companies must comply with the national sustainability law, which is based on the EU directive of sustainability reporting. To comply with the national sustainability law companies can apply international voluntary frameworks such as Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), but there is no imperative requirement. All the voluntary frameworks may contribute to the observed differences of indicators disclosed in the sustainability reports, which makes the information not comparable. This study contributes to the field of research by (1) mapping the comparability in the sustainability reports of firms listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange Large Cap by investigating the level of completeness for the reporting requirements categories and (2) explain and analyse the correlation between the company´s sector, board diversity and the level of completeness of firms that are covered by the national sustainability law. Therefore, a quantity content analysis was conducted on all companies in our sample. The findings display a weak relationship between the investigated variables. This suggest that there are other underlying factors that may affect the comparability in the sustainability reports.

Bakgrund Allmänhetens intresse för hållbarhet har ökat drastiskt de senaste åren vilket även har medfört ett större fokus än tidigare på livsmedelsproducenter och dess påverkan på hållbar utveckling. Företagen har ett stort ansvar gällande deras påverkan på jordens resurser där de genom sin verksamhet förväntas bidra till en hållbar utveckling utifrån de tre aspekterna: social, ekonomisk och miljömässig hållbarhet. Detta väljer många mindre företag att redovisa genom att upprätta en hållbarhetsredovisning, men det är även många mindre företag som avstår från att hållbarhetsredovisa. Syfte Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka hur mindre företag inom livsmedelsbranschen arbetar med hållbarhet utifrån sociala, ekonomiska och miljömässiga aspekter samt om det föreligger någon skillnad mellan de företag som väljer att hållbarhetsredovisa och de som inte gör det. Studien syftar även till att belysa anledningar till att mindre företag inom livsmedelsbranschen väljer att inte upprätta en hållbarhetsredovisning. Metod Metoden som har använts i studien är en kvalitativ forskningsmetod. Datainsamlingen har bestått av semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem olika företag inom livsmedelsbranschen samt en dokumentstudie. Det insamlade empirin har tillsammans med den teoretiska referensramen, där bland annat intressentteorin och legitimitetsteorin ingår, hjälpt till att analysera ifall det föreligger några skillnader mellan de företag som hållbarhetsredovisar och de som inte gör det olika gällande deras hållbarhetsarbete. Slutsats Studiens resultat visar att det föreligger en skillnad i hållbarhetsarbetet mellan mindre företag inom livsmedelsbranschen som hållbarhetsredovisar och mindre företag som inte hållbarhetsredovisar. Dessa skillnader förekommer främst i arbetet med det ekonomiska hållbarhetsarbetet, men kan även urskiljas i det sociala och miljömässiga hållbarhetsarbetet där företag som hållbarhetsredovisar tenderar att arbeta mer systematiskt och utförligt vad gäller hållbarhet. De främsta anledningarna till att mindre företag inom livsmedelsbranschen väljer att inte upprätta en hållbarhetsredovisning är brist på resurser samt att de anser att fokus snarare borde ligga på att man faktiskt arbetar med hållbarhet i stället för att redovisa det. / Background The public's interest in sustainability has increased drastically in recent years, which must also have led to a greater focus than before on food producers and its impact on sustainable development. Companies have a great responsibility regarding their impact on the earth's resources, where through their operations they are expected to contribute to sustainable development based on the three aspects: social, economic and environmental sustainability. Many smaller companies have to report this by preparing a sustainability report, but there arealso many smaller companies that refrain from preparing a sustainability report. Purpose The purpose of the work is to investigate how smaller companies in the food industry work with sustainability based on social, economic and environmental aspects and whether there is any difference between the companies that choose to report sustainability and those that don’t. The study also aims to shed light on reasons why smaller companies in the food industry choose not to prepare a sustainability report. Method The method used in the study is a qualitative research method. The data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews with five different companies in the food industry and a document study. The collected empirical data, together with the theoretical frame of reference, which includes stakeholder theory and legitimacy theory, have helped to analyze whether there are any differences between the companies that report sustainability and those that don’t do differently regarding their sustainability work. Conclusion The results of the study show that there is a difference in sustainability work between smaller companies in the food industry that report sustainability and smaller companies that do not report sustainability. These differences occur mainly in the work with economic sustainability work but can also be distinguished in the social and environmental sustainability work where companies that prepare a sustainability report tend to work more systematically and extensively in terms of sustainability. The main reasons why smaller companies in the food industry choose not to draw up a sustainability report are a lack of resources and that they believe that the focus should rather be on actually working with sustainability instead of reporting it.