Effects of mandatory sustainability reporting in Sweden : A study on how the amendment has affected the content of Swedish companies’ sustainability reports

Abstract: Stakeholders have for the past few years been interested in organizations' impact on sustainability, where economic, environmental, and social issues are prioritized. In 2017, the Annual Reports Act was amended. It now requires companies that meet the criteria to report their CSR activities and impact on sustainability-related issues annually. There is a growing demand and expectation for companies to take responsibility for actions that may negatively impact the society in which they operate. However, critics point out that sustainability reports could be used as a marketing tool for corporations to construct a beautified image of themselves. A corporation's social responsibility is a significant challenge for the business, as it requires them to adapt to society's expectations, which is why the amendment was implemented. Hence, the purpose of this thesis is to contribute to theory on CSR and sustainability reporting by evaluating how mandated reporting has affected the content of Swedish companies' sustainability reports. The thesis includes two different content analyses, one quantitative and one qualitative. The quantitative content analysis showcases the change in the frequency of sustainability-related keywords in sustainability reports, while the qualitative content analysis focuses on more in-depth content developments. The study concludes that there is a strong correlation between the amendment taking legal force and the improvement of all selected companies' sustainability reports. There has been a significant increase in the social and environmental dimensions, while the economic dimension is consistent throughout the period. Lastly, the study also concludes that mandatory reporting improves the information and content communicated in the sustainability reports to relevant stakeholders.