Energy companies’ transparency: toward competitiveness and SDG 7 progress

Abstract

The disclosure of information on sustainability by energy companies is a guarantee of increasing their competitiveness in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the post-war recovery of the Ukrainian energy sector. This paper aims to evaluate the sustainability transparency reporting of energy companies in Ukraine and connect the level of such transparency and their competitiveness. The study used the Transparency Index to analyze information disclosure on sustainability by 50 energy companies in Ukraine, the largest taxpayers. It is based on SDG, CSR, and ESG criteria and shows the companies’ ratings. It was found that companies with a low disclosure of SDG, CSR, and ESG criteria have the largest specific weight (76%) among the respondents. The undisputed leader in sustainability transparency is Energoatom, while only 11 companies out of 50 surveyed have an A and B rating (the highest and higher level of transparency). The index was used as a factor variable in the non-parametric modeling of the relationship between the sustainability transparency of energy companies in Ukraine and their competitiveness (company return, profitability, and profit margin of taxes paid). A close, statistically significant, and inverse relationship was revealed between the Sustainability Transparency Index of energy companies and indicators illustrating their competitiveness besides profitability. The results of rating and clustering companies according to SDG, CSR, and ESG criteria can be used to improve their positive and negative investment screening procedures and increase their competitiveness on the way to SDG 7.