Research and analysis

Frameworks for standards for non-financial reporting

This research examines views on stakeholder preferences around existing non-financial reporting (NFR) frameworks, standards, and indices to better inform policy in this area.

Documents

Frameworks for standards for non-financial reporting

Details

The aim of the study is to provide an initial evidence base on the preferences of UK stakeholders around non-financial reporting (NFR) standards.

This research includes the views of users of NFR, and synthesises the results of a literature review, workshops and several surveys of different stakeholder groups.

Following an initial literature assessment, an inductive research approach was used to explore key NFR themes. A series of workshops informed the development of surveys aimed at gathering the preferences of businesses, institutional investors and employees. The results are set within the context of existing stakeholder research, and the analysis draws on both the qualitative workshops and the quantitative data from the surveys.

The research identifies the 13 most common existing NFR frameworks and explores the commonalities and tensions between the views of different groups of stakeholders regarding NFR. The report does not seek to endorse specific NFR frameworks, instead the focus is on where the preferences of stakeholders meet and where they diverge. The findings can be used to support future studies of potential changes to policy in this area.

The research was carried out by Eunomia Research & Consulting Ltd (Eunomia) on behalf of BEIS.

Published 28 October 2020