Sustainability Reporting in Numbers96% of the world's 250 largest companies report, 89% assurance in Japan, the standards used and what makes "excellent disclosure"

In a 2024 survey, 96% of the world's 250 largest companies by revenue (G250) and 79% of 5,800 companies made up of the top 100 in each of 58 countries and jurisdictions (N100) reported on sustainability. All of Japan's top 100 companies disclosed sustainability information in their annual reports, and 89% of them had third-party assurance (KPMG, "Survey of Sustainability Reporting 2024", Japanese edition).

This page was created by Karatsu Farm & Food as part of the Karatsu Data Bank. It sets out, as published, the figures from survey firms, a public pension fund, governments and standard setters on how many sustainability reports (including integrated, ESG and sustainability reports) are produced, which standards they use and what is valued. We add no conclusions or evaluations.

The KPMG survey mainly looked at reports published between July 2023 and June 2024. The G250 is the top 250 of the 2023 Fortune Global 500; the N100 is the top 100 companies by revenue in each of 58 countries, territories and jurisdictions (5,800 in total). Shares for standards and the like are based on reporting companies (239 of the G250 and 4,581 of the N100) (KPMG).

How many companies report, worldwide and in Japan?

The G250 reporting rate has stayed at 96% in 2020, 2022 and 2024. For the N100 it was 79%, or 81% when only the countries and jurisdictions in the 2022 survey are compared. By region: North America 97%, Asia Pacific 92%, Europe 81%. The share disclosing sustainability information in annual reports was 82% for the G250 and 62% for the N100; in Japan and Thailand it was every company surveyed (KPMG).

Item	G250	N100	Japan (N100)
Report on sustainability	96%	79%	All, in annual reports
Third-party assurance	69%	54%	89%
Carry out a materiality assessment	78%	79%	100%
Of which double materiality	50%	42%	84%
Publish carbon reduction targets	95%	80%	100%
Report biodiversity and nature loss as a risk	56%	49%	80%
Disclose climate risk in line with TCFD	72%	43%	100%
Cover the SDGs in reports	74%	75%	99%

Which standards are used?

The most used are the GRI Standards, used by 77% of the G250 and 71% of the N100; in Japan, Spain and South Korea the N100 figure was 94%. SASB Standards were used by 56% of the G250 (49% in 2022) and 41% of the N100 (33%), and stock exchange guidelines by 28% of the G250 and 31% of the N100. Use of the IFRS Foundation's Integrated Reporting Framework fell from 25% to 17% among the G250 and rose to 24% among the N100 (KPMG).

GRI Standards77%

TCFD recommendations72%

SASB Standards56%

Stock exchange guidelines28%

Integrated Reporting Framework17%

IFRS S24%

The standards serve different readers. GRI is for reporting an organisation's impacts on the economy, environment and people, and consists of three series: Universal Standards that apply to all organisations, Sector Standards and Topic Standards (GRI). The ISSB Standards (IFRS S1 and S2) and Japan's SSBJ Standards tell investors how sustainability-related risks and opportunities affect a company's finances. The EU's ESRS require "double materiality", which looks at both financial effects and impacts on society and the environment (KPMG).

The topic standard "GRI 101: Biodiversity 2024" applies to reports published from 1 January 2026. It replaces GRI 304 and asks for reporting on impacts across the supply chain, the location and size of sites, the direct drivers of biodiversity loss (land use, climate change, overexploitation, pollution and invasive species), and impacts on communities and Indigenous Peoples (GRI, GRI 101 FAQ).

How far has third-party assurance spread?

Among reporting companies, 69% of the G250, 54% of the N100 and 89% of Japan's top 100 had third-party assurance on sustainability information. When KPMG first looked in 2005, the figures were 30% for the G250 and 33% for the N100. Of those with assurance, 48% of the G250 and 54% of the N100 used the same firm as their financial statement audit (KPMG).

Japan (N100)89%

G25069%

N10054%

G250 (2005)30%

N100 (2005)33%

Do reports show only the good news?

On the SDGs, 8% of the G250 and 12% of the N100 disclosed both the positive and negative impacts of their business; most reported only positive impacts. Japan had the highest country share covering the SDGs, at 99% (KPMG). Figures on rules against weakly supported environmental claims are in Greenwashing in Numbers.

Which reports do investors choose as "excellent"?

GPIF (Government Pension Investment Fund), which manages Japan's public pension reserves, asks the asset managers running its domestic equities to choose companies with excellent disclosure and publishes the results each year. From the FY2025 exercise (published 17 March 2026) it merged its four series, "excellent integrated reports", "excellent TCFD disclosure", "excellent TNFD disclosure" and "excellent governance reports", into "excellent sustainability disclosure". Twenty-three asset managers each chose up to ten companies on whether disclosure helped engagement, and 89 companies were chosen for "excellent sustainability disclosure" and 66 for "most improved sustainability disclosure" (GPIF, FY2025 business overview press conference, Asahi Shimbun SDGs ACTION!, E-Square).

Chosen by four or more asset managers were Ajinomoto (8), ITOCHU (7), Hitachi and Sony Group (6 each), and Sekisui Chemical and Tokio Marine Holdings (4 each); for "most improved", East Japan Railway (4) (E-Square). GPIF explains that it centred the evaluation on materiality, defined as "matters that affect corporate value" (GPIF).

The form of chosen disclosures differed greatly between Japanese and overseas companies. For Japanese companies, 95% were voluntary disclosures, two-thirds of them integrated reports. For overseas companies, 58% were voluntary and 36% statutory; as single documents, sustainability reports accounted for 30%, annual reports 8%, and integrated and impact reports 4% each (GPIF, Stewardship Activities Report 2025/2026).

Japanese companies: voluntary disclosure95%

Overseas companies: voluntary disclosure58%

Overseas companies: statutory disclosure36%

Overseas companies: sustainability report (single document)30%

In GPIF's February 2024 results under the previous format, many asset managers gave "whether the content is linked to raising corporate value" as their approach to choosing. Examples were whether financial and non-financial materiality on the way to the company's vision is shown, and whether it is clear that the work is done under proper governance through a plan-do-check-act cycle. No asset manager said integrated reports were becoming less important (GPIF, 21 February 2024).

What goes in a report: what the main standards ask for in common

The table lists items the main standards ask for, with the standards that require them. Which standard to use depends on who will read the report (investors, business partners, communities, government and so on) and on whether reporting is required by law.

Item	What to write	Main standards that ask for it
Governance	Who oversees and decides on sustainability issues, and in which body	ISSB and SSBJ Standards, TCFD, ESRS
Strategy	How risks and opportunities affect the business, strategy and finances	ISSB and SSBJ Standards, TCFD, ESRS
Risk management	How risks and opportunities are identified, assessed and managed	ISSB and SSBJ Standards, TCFD, ESRS
Metrics and targets	Figures such as greenhouse gas emissions, targets and progress	ISSB and SSBJ Standards, TCFD, ESRS, GRI
Materiality	Which issues were judged material, and how	GRI 3, ESRS (double materiality)
Impacts	Positive and negative impacts on the economy, environment and people	GRI, ESRS
Nature and biodiversity	Site locations, drivers of biodiversity loss, impacts on communities	GRI 101, ESRS E4, TNFD
Assurance	What a third party checked, and at what level	National rules (in Japan, from the year after SSBJ application)

How are disclosure rules changing?

Japan will require companies on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market to prepare their annual securities reports under the SSBJ Standards, starting with the largest: from the year ending March 2027 for market capitalisation of JPY 3 trillion or more, March 2028 for JPY 1 trillion to under 3 trillion, and March 2029 for JPY 500 billion to under 1 trillion. Third-party assurance becomes mandatory from the following year (Financial Services Agency, 24 April 2026). The numbers of companies covered are in ESG, CSR and CSV in Numbers.

In a November 2026 meeting paper, the IFRS Foundation says nearly 50 jurisdictions are using or preparing to use the ISSB Standards, that companies in 13 jurisdictions used them for FY2025, and that 6 more jurisdictions follow from FY2026 (IFRS Foundation, Advisory Council, November 2026). S&P Global counted 28 jurisdictions that had adopted them on a voluntary or mandatory basis as of 22 April 2026, with 12 more planning to (S&P Global). The counts differ because they are counted differently.

In the EU, Directive (EU) 2026/470 of 24 February 2026 (Omnibus I) narrowed mandatory reporting to companies with net turnover above EUR 450 million and an average of more than 1,000 employees (EUR-Lex, Directive 2026/470). On 3 July 2026 the European Commission adopted simplified, revised ESRS. It says mandatory datapoints were cut by more than 60% and total datapoints by more than 70%; the revised standards apply to financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2027 (EUR-Lex, Delegated Regulation 2026/1563, Ashurst Perkins Coie).

For nature-related disclosure, the ISSB issued an exposure draft in October 2026. It is covered with TNFD adopter numbers in TNFD Adopters and Nature-related Disclosure Data.

What can small companies and organisations use?

The GRI Standards can be downloaded free from GRI's site, and the Universal Standards are described as applying to all organisations (GRI).

In the EU, a voluntary standard for companies without a reporting obligation (1,000 employees or fewer) was published in the Official Journal on 21 September 2026 and can be used for financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2027. It is based on the VSME that EFRAG developed for non-listed SMEs (EUR-Lex, Delegated Regulation 2026/1560, EFRAG). EFRAG gives helping SMEs answer data requests from banks, investors and large customers as one aim of the VSME (EFRAG). The voluntary standard also includes an item to disclose sites in or near biodiversity-sensitive areas (such as protected areas) and the names of those areas (EUR-Lex, Delegated Regulation 2026/1560).

Frequently asked questions

Q1. How many companies publish sustainability reports?

In KPMG's 2024 survey, 96% of the world's 250 largest companies by revenue and 79% of the top 100 in each of 58 countries and jurisdictions (5,800 companies) reported. All of Japan's top 100 disclosed sustainability information in their annual reports.

Q2. Which standard is used most?

The GRI Standards. In KPMG's 2024 survey they were used by 77% of the world's 250 largest companies, 71% of the national top 100s and 94% of Japan's top 100. SASB Standards come next (56% of the top 250).

Q3. On what basis are "excellent reports" chosen?

For "excellent sustainability disclosure" published in March 2026, GPIF's asset managers chose with materiality (matters that affect corporate value) at the centre. In the 2024 results, points raised included whether financial and non-financial materiality towards the company's vision is shown and whether it is clear that work is done under governance through a plan-do-check-act cycle.

Q4. How many companies have third-party assurance?

In KPMG's 2024 survey, among reporting companies, 69% of the world's 250 largest, 54% of the national top 100s and 89% of Japan's top 100. In Japan, companies required to apply the SSBJ Standards must obtain assurance from the following year.

Q5. Are there standards small companies or NPOs can use?

The GRI Standards can be downloaded free, and the Universal Standards are described as applying to all organisations. In the EU, a voluntary standard for companies of 1,000 employees or fewer without a reporting obligation can be used for financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2027.

Sources

Notes on reading the figures

In the KPMG figures, whether companies report is based on all 250 G250 and 5,800 N100 companies, while use of standards, assurance, materiality assessment and so on are based on reporting companies (239 of the G250 and 4,581 of the N100). The Japan column gives values the Japanese edition shows for Japan's top 100. Japan's shares for materiality assessment (100%) and double materiality (84%) are taken from the text of the Japanese edition (p.46). Japan's 84% for double materiality is, together with South Korea's 91%, the highest level by country.

GPIF's "excellent sustainability disclosure" reflects choices by asset managers, not a points ranking. Because the format changed from the March 2026 publication, the numbers cannot simply be compared with the "excellent integrated reports" of 2025 and earlier. The IFRS Foundation and S&P Global count jurisdictions using the ISSB Standards differently.

What this page does not cover

Evaluations of individual companies' reports, preparing reports or advising on them, and legal interpretation of national rules are not covered. Numbers of companies under Japan's mandatory disclosure and sustainable investment assets are in ESG, CSR and CSV in Numbers, and TNFD and nature-related disclosure in TNFD Adopters and Nature-related Disclosure Data.

Citing this page and enquiries

To cite figures on this page or to ask about records of OECM site and environmental education activities arising from partnerships with companies, please use our contact page or write to info@karatsu-f-f.com.

About this page

Created by Hiroaki Kojima (Vice Director, Karatsu Farm & Food) / Contact: info@karatsu-f-f.com (contact form) / Published: November 11, 2026 / Markdown: sustainability-report-data.md

This page was made together with AI. See this data bank and AI for how.

Related links

▶ Karatsu Data Bank
▶ ESG, CSR and CSV in Numbers
▶ TNFD Adopters and Nature-related Disclosure Data
▶ Greenwashing in Numbers
▶ Hotel Sustainability in Numbers
▶ サステナビリティレポートのデータ（日本語）