From GRI to ESRS: Mapping the Evolution of Sustainability Reporting through Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract In recent years, the status of sustainability reporting in corporate disclosures has changed. For a long time, sustainability reporting was seen as complementary to other corporate disclosures. Historically, the development of sustainability disclosure frameworks has mainly been the result of self-regulation. This has changed due to the growing number of mandatory sustainability reporting regulations, especially in Europe. For many reporting organizations, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) was the main sustainability disclosure framework in the absence of other mandatory frameworks, as it offered a structured reporting system that allowed flexibility across different industries and countries. In Europe, the requirements and expectations for sustainability reporting have changed. With the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), sustainability reporting has moved further into the realm of mandatory reporting. This has changed the landscape of reporting frameworks. There continues to be a large focus on sustainability reporting within the context of voluntary frameworks. There is a lack of literature examining the new European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), and those that do are scattered throughout various publications and have been the focus of many reporting frameworks. Using data retrieved from the Web of Science, the analysis explores publication trends, influential journals and authors, as well as the thematic structure of the literature. The research is guided by questions addressing whether research has shifted away from voluntary reporting frameworks and which topics have gained relevance as regulatory sustainability reporting becomes more prominent. The results suggest gradual reorientation within literature.