SDG-reporting in different regulatory contexts: A comparative study of Austrian and New Zealand state-owned enterprises

IMPACTThis study examines Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-reporting practices by state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Austria and New Zealand (NZ). While SDG-reporting is improving in both countries, the improvement is more pronounced in Austria. The quality of disclosures in both countries remains low; however, Austria continues to outperform NZ. The findings suggest that Austria’s integrated SDG governance framework, characterized by greater co-ordination and stakeholder engagement, is associated with more comprehensive disclosures in contrast to NZ’s decentralized SDG-reporting approach. This highlights the importance of cross-government alignment and institutional support. Larger, more profitable SOEs disclose more while high government ownership does not lead to better disclosures. This suggests that national governments are hesitant to instrumentalize their SOEs in implementing the UN Agenda 2030. The findings demonstrate how governance arrangements and organizational capabilities influence SDG-reporting in the public sector and are of interest to policy-makers in countries with the same or similar regulatory contexts.