Assessing ESG Reporting Practices in Swedish Banks: Approaches, and Barriers.

Sammanfattning: Date: 2023-05-31 Level: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, 15 credits Institution:School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors: Josef Andehaymanot (01/03/03) Jonas Höggren (99/03/05) Nicholas Malki (00/11/13) Title: Assessing ESG Reporting Practices in Swedish Banks: Approaches, and Barriers. Supervisor: Edward Gillmore Keywords: Sustainability reporting, transparency, accountability, disclosure barriers, stakeholder theory, corporate social responsibility, environment social governance.  Research questions: 1. How do Swedish banks integrate ESG into reporting and disclosure? 2. What are the barriers to improving transparency and accountability into this process? Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the challenges Swedish banks are faced with in their sustainability reporting practices, as well as to deduce solutions and add potential contributions to the development of standardized frameworks in reporting practices by conducting interviews with sustainability experts, both in banks, and a consultancy firm. Method: Non-standardized semi-structured interviews was the main method adopted for this thesis’ exploratory qualitative research, the data was then comparatively analyzed, bank by bank. Conclusion: The challenges and barriers identified in this study emphasize the need for standardized reporting frameworks, enhanced data collection process, stakeholder engagement, and employee education in sustainable initiatives. By addressing these issues banks can improve transparency and accountability in their ESG reporting process, contributing to a more sustainable future.