In October 2019, an inaugural research report was released on SDG measurement and disclosure by the top 150 Australian publicly-listed companies (ASX150). An analysis of annual corporate sustainability reports from 2018 revealed only approximately one third of the ASX150 companies mentioned SDGs in their reports, and only a quarter had formally prioritised SDGs by aligning their operations and strategies to meet the various targets. The study called for greater disclosure on how companies were aligning SDGs within their reporting frameworks and as part of their business strategy.

This report is the second in this research series. Presented within is an analysis of the integration of the SDGs by the companies comprising the ASX150 index (by market capitalisation as at 1 July 2019). Research priorities included understanding the extent of SDG awareness within corporate Australia and gaining a sense of the commitment and corresponding corporate governance present within the ASX150. This report also highlights the evolving quality of SDG reporting between 2018 and 2019 and identifies the Top 20 performing companies for SDG integration and disclosure for the 2019 reporting period. Lastly, we have individually analysed each of the 17 SDGs within the context of ASX150 corporate reporting to identify how they are being prioritised by varying industries and the actions that are being taken to address each goal.