The Strategy for Harmonizing Financial and Non-financial Reporting on Climate Risk Disclosures. Part 1

The paper substantiates the need to harmonize the financial and non-financial statements of the company and to develop the corrspodig strategy in climate risks. The study assesses the impact of climate change risks on financial reporting indicators and formulates requirements for disclosing information in financial and non-financial statements. There a demand for such disclosures by investors is emphasized, as well as other interested parties, and the relevance of expanding and reorienting their contents from the task of describing the company’s environmental impact to the task of reflecting the climate impact on the company, its financial performance and strategy. The paper presents the results of a comparative analysis of the international standards` conceptual foundations for financial and non-financial reporting and shows their mutual consistency. Based on a comparative analysis of the international standards conceptual foundations, their mutual consistency has been proved, as well as there have been revealed accounting problems and disclosing information on climate risks in financial and corporate reporting. The results of the study (based on methods of logical analysis, abstraction, analogies, groupings, comparative analysis) are the key provisions formulated for developing a strategy for harmonizing financial and non-financial reporting, including climate risks. Also, there are shown recommendations for the preparation of disclosures regarding the interdependence of climate change and the results achieved with the development prospects of the company. The study may be of interest to Government bodies of the Russian Federation, relevant international organizations in the formation of standards for financial and nonfinancial reporting, interested users, as well as economic entities in the development of internal accounting and reporting standards.

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