Developing Corporate Reporting in the Public Interest: The Question of Mandatory CSR Reporting and the Potential for Its Integration with Financial Reporting

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting is emerging in response to demand from a broad range of stakeholders. Comparability and reliability of information would be enhanced if CSR reporting becomes mandatory. If CSR reporting is mandated, which we believe is desirable, the content and form of the disclosure needs to be determined. We examine the underlying conceptual frameworks for both CSR and financial reporting to determine whether it is feasible or desirable for CSR reporting to be integrated with financial reporting. We discuss whether a regulatory body or a participative entity should be responsible for developing an appropriate framework. We also discuss the potential for assurance if CSR reporting were to be integrated with financial reporting as well as specific problems that would be associated with the audit of integrated reports.