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The percentage of major global companies to have their corporate responsibility reports independently assured has barely risen in the last three years.
According to KPMG's annual International survey of corporate responsibility reporting, the proportion of CSR reports with independent assurance produced by Fortune 250 companies rose between 2002 and 2005 by only one percentage point - from 29 to 30 per cent.
While almost half of UK reports were assured, in other countries - among them Sweden, South Africa and the US - the proportion was below 10 per cent. However, assurance statements are now far more detailed, with many running to more than two pages.
More than a third suggest improvements companies could make. KPMG's Global Sustainability Services, which carried out the annual survey with the University of Amsterdam, says this is most marked in the fifth of statements that refer to the AA1000 assurance standard, which encourages assurers to suggest ways in which a company might improve its reporting.
Most of those making recommendations were relatively small consultancies, but some were big accounting firms - traditionally more circumspect in their assurance statements and occupying almost 60 per cent of the assurance market.
Overall, CSR reporting rose in the past three years, from 45 per cent of the Fortune 250 in 2002 to 52 per cent in 2005. Japan, where 80 of the largest 100 companies report, and the UK, where 71 do so, are the lead countries.
In the financial sector, non-financial reporting rose twofold to 60 per cent.
According to KPMG's annual International survey of corporate responsibility reporting, the proportion of CSR reports with independent assurance produced by Fortune 250 companies rose between 2002 and 2005 by only one percentage point - from 29 to 30 per cent.
While almost half of UK reports were assured, in other countries - among them Sweden, South Africa and the US - the proportion was below 10 per cent. However, assurance statements are now far more detailed, with many running to more than two pages.
More than a third suggest improvements companies could make. KPMG's Global Sustainability Services, which carried out the annual survey with the University of Amsterdam, says this is most marked in the fifth of statements that refer to the AA1000 assurance standard, which encourages assurers to suggest ways in which a company might improve its reporting.
Most of those making recommendations were relatively small consultancies, but some were big accounting firms - traditionally more circumspect in their assurance statements and occupying almost 60 per cent of the assurance market.
Overall, CSR reporting rose in the past three years, from 45 per cent of the Fortune 250 in 2002 to 52 per cent in 2005. Japan, where 80 of the largest 100 companies report, and the UK, where 71 do so, are the lead countries.
In the financial sector, non-financial reporting rose twofold to 60 per cent.
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