Document Type

Honors Thesis

Abstract

As corporate sustainability becomes a growing priority, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting has gained significant importance in the ability to assess the impact and accountability of a company. However, governance-related challenges such as conflicts of interest, transparency gaps, and weak accountability structures continue to undermine the reliability of ESG disclosures, which are intended to provide stakeholders and investors with a clear, standardized view of a company’s sustainability practices. This study explores how governance failures impact ESG reporting effectiveness and examine strategies for improvement. Through conducting a systematic literature review, this research synthesizes findings from academic studies and industry articles to identify any key governance risks and strategies for strengthening ESG oversight and accountability. v Findings show that regulatory inconsistencies, absence of standardized metrics, and insufficient oversight contribute to unreliable reporting. Enhancing governance through regulatory reforms, improved oversight mechanisms and universally adopted frameworks can improve disclosure credibility. By addressing these governance obstacles, this study shows the urgent need for robust oversight to encourage investor trust and drive corporate sustainability.

Disciplines

Accounting

Publication Date

5-2025

Language

English

Faculty Mentor of Honors Project

Terra Mcghee

License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Included in

Accounting Commons

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