The Role of The Global Financial Reporting Standards (GRI) in Enhancing Accounting Disclosure of Sustainability in Iraqi Companies

Authors

  • Adnan Yasir Mohamaad Middle Technical University, Balad Technical Institute- Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33095/tb265m10

Keywords:

Economic Standard (GRI 200), Environmental Standard (GRI 300), Social Standard (GRI 400), General Indicators (GRI 102), Accounting Disclosure, Sustainability.

Abstract

The research aims to identify the role of Global Financial Reporting Standards (GRI) in enhancing accounting disclosure of sustainability in Iraqi companies, by relying on the four global financial reporting standards, which include: the economic axis (GRI 200), the environmental axis (GRI 300), the social axis (GRI 400 and the general indicators (GRI 102),  the research sample represented an interantional companies listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange, namely: Al-Khatam Company and Asiacell Company. In order to analyse the results, the content and disclosure survey of the data and reports published in the Iraq Stock Exchange was employed. The accounting disclosure of sustainability was selected relying on the disclosed quantitative data. A set of indicators was chosen that are considered indicators for sustainability disclosure, which provide the most important indicators of disclosure of the dimensions of sustainability that can be addressed and studied within the Iraqi environment. Data from a sample of the two referred companies within the communications sector were analysed for the period (2021-2023). The hypotheses were tested using the regression method and the structural modelling method. The research concludes that the most important of which are: Financial Reporting Standards (GRI) contribute to increasing the level of transparency and credibility in financial reports related to sustainability, as they provide a clear framework for providing financial and non-financial information that helps investors and stakeholders evaluate the sustainable performance of companies. Among the most important recommendations of the research: Supporting companies listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange that adopt initiatives related to reporting accounting disclosure in achieving sustainability by several means to ensure their sustainability and continuity.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abdullah, S. H., & Wadi, S. S. (2018). Sustainability accounting indicators and their relationship to corporate value creation. Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 24(109).

Abdullah, Salman Hussein, Wadi, Sakna Suwadi (2018). Sustainable Accounting indicators that related with create value for the firm, Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 109(24), 584-611.

Abdullah, Zahraa Taleb & Ibrahim, Mohammed Abdullah (2024). The Effect of the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on the Asymmetry of Accounting Information, Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 30(142), 592-604.

Ahmed, Shatha Akram, Ibrahim, Mohamed Abdullah (2020). Measuring the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on social responsibility reports for a sample of Iraqi companies listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange, Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 26 (121), 444-488.

Al-Armouti, Ahmed Adnan (2013), The Impact of Sustainability Accounting on Financial Reporting Reports in Jordanian Public Shareholding Industrial Companies Listed on the Amman Stock Exchange, PhD Thesis at the Middle East University.

Ali, Mohammed Ataallah, Abdullah, Salman Hussein (2021). Macro Sustainability Accounting: A New Way to Prepare Value Added Statement, Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 27 (129) 2021, 185-197.

Al-Jajawi, Talal Muhammad Ali, Al-Ubaidi, Ayat Naji (2018). The effect of sustainability indicators for governance and economic axis (EGISX)‎ in evaluating performance of Iraqi industrial corporations listed in Iraqi stock exchange (ISX)‎, Iraqi Journal of Administrative Sciences, no.58

Al-Jajawi, Talal, and Al-Khafaji, Iman (2019), Sustainability Accounting According to ESG/ISX/S&P Indicators and GRI Standards, Dar Al-Ayam Publishing House.

Aljajawy, T. M., Dolab, Y., & Alkhfajy, E. J. (2022). The Role of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) for Achieving Sustainability Reporting. In International Conference on Business and Technology (pp. 867-884). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Al-Shammari, Suaad Adnan Noaman,(2022). The role of GRI standards in reporting the dimensions of sustainable development -An applied study in a number of local companies on the Iraq Stock Exchange, Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences,28(133) , 200-215.

Bakr, Ibrahim (2018), The Shift from Voluntary Disclosure of the Dimensions of Sustainability Accounting to Mandatory Disclosure: Justifications and Implications, Al-Mustansiriya University.

Barbier, E. B., & Burgess, J. C. (2017). The Sustainable Development Goals and the systems approach to sustainability. Economics, 11(1), 20170028.

Caradonna, J. L. (2022). Sustainability: A history. Oxford University Press.

Epstein, M. J. (2018). Making sustainability work: Best practices in managing and measuring corporate social, environmental and economic impacts. Routledge.

Giordano-Spring, S., Larrinaga, C., & Rivière-Giordano, G. (2024). Field-configuring events and the failure to standardise accounting for carbon emissions. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 37(9), 216-247.

globalreporting.org

Hajian, M., & Kashani, S. J. (2021). Evolution of the concept of sustainability. From Brundtland Report to sustainable development goals. In Sustainable resource management (pp. 1-24). Elsevier.

Hameed, Anmar Muhsein& Al-Mashhadani, Bushra Najem Aubdullah,(2024). The Role of Adopting International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSASs) in Achieving Financial Sustainability for Universities, Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 30(141), 529-552.

Hameed, Anmar Muhsein, Al-Mashhadani, Bushra Najem Aubdullah (2024). The Role of Adopting International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSASs) in Achieving Financial Sustainability for Universities, Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 30(141), 529-552.

Hyršlová, J. (2014). Sustainability reporting–a review and trends and situation in CR. In The 8th International Days of Statistics and Economics, Conference Proceedings, Slaný, Libuše Macáková, Melandrium (pp. 497-506).

Janabi, A. M. A., Saei, M. J., & Hesarzadeh, R. (2024). The Impact of Adherence to Sustainable Development, as Defined by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI-G4), on the Financial Performance Indicators of Banks: A Comparative Study of the UAE and Iraq. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 17(1), 17.

Jerónimo .H., Henriques. P Lacerda, T. D.,& Vieira, P. R. (2019), Going Green and Sustainable: The Influence of Green Hr Practices on The organizational Rationale for Sustainability, Journal of Business Research.

Kratěnová, A. (2015). Udržitelný rozvoj jako právní princip.‏

Li, N., Gu, Z., Albasher, G., Alsultan, N., & Fatemah, A. (2023). Nexus of financial management, blockchain, and natural resources: Comparing the impact on environmental sustainability and resource productivity. Resources Policy, 83, 103730.

Lisene, L. N. (2017). The integration of information and communication technologies into teaching of physical science in Lesotho.

Machado, B. A. A., Dias, L. C. P., & Fonseca, A. (2021). Transparency of materiality analysis in GRI‐based sustainability reports. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 28(2), 570-580.

Mohamed, Abdel Rahman Musa Ali. (2020). Financial Effects of Transformation to IFRSs in Saudi Markets, Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences,26 (122) 2020, 501-516.

Moldan, B., Janoušková, S., & Hák, T. (2012). How to understand and measure environmental sustainability: Indicators and targets. Ecological indicators, 17, 4-13.

Mostafa, S. N., & Al-Taie, B. F. (2022). The impact of governance mechanisms on the accounting disclosure of the sustainable development of Iraqi economic units. Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 28(132).

Noaman, S. A. (2022). The role of GRI standards in reporting the dimensions of sustainable development - An applied study in a number of local companies on the Iraq Stock Exchange. Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 28(133).

Olkinuora, V. (2014). Attitudes towards sustainable development.‏

Paillé, P., Valéau, P., & Renwick, D. W. (2020). Leveraging green human resource practices to achieve environmental sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 260, 1-12. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121137

Portney, K. E. (2015). Sustainability. MIT Press.

Ramanan, R. R. (2018). Introduction to sustainability analytics. CRC Press.

Saleh, L. Y., & Hamad, O. F. (2024). Analysis of fiscal sustainability and its impact on enhancing economic growth in Iraq for the period (2004-2021). Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 30(143).

Santos, A. I., & Serpa, S. (2020). Literacy: Promoting sustainability in a digital society. J. Educ. Teach. Soc. Stud, 2(1).

Schiehlé, T., & Wallin, J. (2014). The reporting on sustainability performance indicators: a thesis about the reporting of the Global Reporting Initiative’s sustainability performance indicators by the largest Swedish companies of the industrial sector.

Zhang, Y., Khan, U., Lee, S., & Salik, M. (2019). The influence of management innovation and technological innovation on organization performance. a mediating role of sustainability. Sustainability, 11(2), pp.1-21.

Published

2025-10-01

Issue

Section

Accounting Researches

How to Cite

Yasir Mohamaad, A. (2025) “The Role of The Global Financial Reporting Standards (GRI) in Enhancing Accounting Disclosure of Sustainability in Iraqi Companies”, Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 31(149), pp. 114–133. doi:10.33095/tb265m10.

Similar Articles

1-10 of 1391

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.