The legal background to financial integrated reporting

In South Africa, listed companies are in the process of complying with environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting. However, the compliance process is a work in progress and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is currently in the process of implementing ESG requirements for listed companies, that is, JSE ESG metrics. This inaugural briefly focuses on the background to ESG and its development in South Africa, as well as the most recent developments in this regard with reference to international law principles, for example United Nations Global Compact. The inaugural also briefly examines the environmental, social and corporate governance legs of the JSE ESG metrics and the greenwashing of company business activities.