ACCG 950 Report: A Comparative Analysis of BHP Billiton and ANZ Bank

This report provides a comparative analysis of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Integrated Reporting (IR) practices of BHP Billiton and ANZ Bank. It discusses each company's purpose for providing these reports, identifies key stakeholders and their interests, and analyzes the similarities and differences between the reports. The report also critically evaluates the quality of information, consistency with relevant standards, and how well the information meets stakeholders' needs. The analysis includes an assessment of the reliability, relevance, and comparability of the information provided in the GRI reports, as well as an evaluation of the companies' adherence to GRI framework guidelines. Ultimately, the report aims to provide insights into the sustainability reporting practices of these two Australian companies and their impact on stakeholders.

Running head: CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING PRACTICE
Contemporary Accounting Practice
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Authors Note:

CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING PRACTICE
1
Table of Contents
1. Discussing each company’s purpose or purposes for providing a GRI or IR:.......................2
2. Identifying key stakeholders with an interest in the report and explaining why each
stakeholder could be interested:.................................................................................................3
3. Identifying and analysing important similarities and differences between each report:........4
4.i. Critically evaluating each report by considering the quality of information:......................5
4.ii. Critically evaluating each report by considering consistency with relevant standards or
Framework:................................................................................................................................6
4.iii. Critically evaluating each report by considering how well the information would meet
stakeholders needs:.....................................................................................................................7
Reference and Bibliography:......................................................................................................8

CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING PRACTICE
2
1. Discussing each company’s purpose or purposes for providing a GRI or IR:
The Global Reporting Initiative and Integrating Reporting is mainly disclosed by the
organisations for reporting their impact on critical sustainability issues such as human rights,
governance, and social well beings. In addition, with the help of Global Reporting Initiative
and Integrating Reporting, BHP Billiton and ANZ bank is mainly able to depict the level of
corporate social responsibility that is maintained by the companies. The financial report
disclosed under Global Reporting Initiative and Integrating Reporting directly increases
trends of the organisation, while detecting the financial performance of the organisation.
Furthermore, the disclosures conducted from Global Reporting Initiative and Integrating
Reporting directly focuses on providing more assessable higher quality data for analysing
performance of the organisation. BHP Billiton with their Global Reporting Initiative and
Integrating Reporting is able to provide their accounting information to their shareholders
regarding their future prospects (Globalreporting.org, 2018). This disclosure relevantly
indicates the high level of exposure that is faced by the company, which might generate high
level of returns from investment. The reports provided by BHP Billiton relatively includes the
information regarding its assets, which is wholly owned and operated by the organisation.
The Global Reporting Initiative and Integrating Reporting provided by ANZ Bank relatively
consists of two sections, where purpose of the business is adequately disclosed including
purpose, values, and corporate social sustainability framework. Furthermore, identification of
stakeholders, governance, risk management, materials significant and issues are adequate
depicted in the sustainability framework.

CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING PRACTICE
3
2. Identifying key stakeholders with an interest in the report and explaining why each
stakeholder could be interested:
There are key stakeholders that needs who are interested in the Global Reporting
Initiative and Integrating Reporting measure, which could help in understanding the level of
operating conducted by companies under the fiscal years. In addition, the stakeholders such
as government, contactors, suppliers, external customers, top management, project team
management, manager, peers, resource manager, and internal customers. The identified
stakeholders might help in understanding the level of demand of the Global Reporting
Initiative and Integrating reporting, which will be accommodated for the particular
stakeholders. In this context, Belkhir, Bernard & Abdelgadir (2017) stated that GRI and IR
reporting system is mainly allows stakeholders of the organisation to understand the level of
operations, which could be conducted from its current financial performance.
The stakeholders such as government utilise the information to understand the
sustainable measures and ethical consideration conducted by the company in completing their
performance. In addition, the contractor and suppliers require the GRI and IR reporting
system to understand the level of cash availability and cash position, which could understand
their level to support payments. In addition, the top management with the help of the GRI and
IR reporting is able to understand the current financial projection of the company. This
allows the management to make adequate investment decisions, which could help in
obtaining sustainable growth in future. Furthermore, the management and employees of the
organisation use the GRI and IR reporting system to understand the current financial position
of the organisation, which helps in understanding its ability to support administrative
expenses in future. Lastly, the investment uses the IR and GRI report in understanding the
financial position of the company, which detecting the financial trend. This mainly helps
them to understand the current financial position of the organisation, which helps in making

CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING PRACTICE
4
adequate investment decisions. Godha & Jain (2015) argued that companies using unethical
measures in disclosing the GRI and IR report might directly have negative impact on
decisions made by stakeholders.
3. Identifying and analysing important similarities and differences between each report:
After evaluating the Global Reporting Initiative of BHP Billiton and ANZ Bank
relevant similarities and difference can be detected, which might help in detecting the
significance of the report provided by the companies. In addition, the major similarities can
be identified from the overall Global Reporting Initiative and Integrating Reporting, which
indicates the financial performance of the organisations. The Global Reporting Initiative and
Integrating Reporting mainly represent the financial performance of the organisations, which
could support investors in making adequate investment decisions. In this context, Bernard,
Abdelgadir, & Belkhir (2015) stated that with the help of GRI reporting measures
stakeholders are mainly able to understand the level of financial performance of the
organisation.
The GRI reporting used by BHP Billiton and ANZ Bank mainly consist of corporate
sustainable framework that is followed by the organisation, which depicts the financial
stability of both the companies. In addition, the GRI report also consist of different level of
returns, which is conducted by the company to increase its returns from investment. The
report directly provides all the relevant information regarding the sustainability performance
summary of the organisation. This relevantly indicates the different types of responsible
business lending, environment, employees, community, customers, and voluntary tax
transparency of the organisation. There is no significance different on the overall GRI report
between BHP Billiton and ANZ Bank. This mainly indicates that GRI guidelines is

CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING PRACTICE
5
adequately supported by both the companies, which depicts all the relevant information to
their shareholders (Globalreporting.org, 2018).
4.i. Critically evaluating each report by considering the quality of information:
The quality of the information that is provided by the GRI report of BHP Billiton and
ANZ Bank relevantly indicates the financial performance of the organisation. The quality of
the information is relatively depicted in the following measures.
Reliable:
The information provided by BHP Billiton and ANZ Bank on their GRI report is
relevantly reliable, as the companies adequately provided information in accordance with the
GRI guidelines. The information relevantly indicates the reliability of the data used by the
companies in drafting their GRI report. The reliability factor of both GRI report is relevantly
high, which indicates the possible attributes of the organisations financial position (Lin,
Chang & Chang, 2015).
Relevant:
The quality of the information provided by the both BHP Billiton and ANZ Bank is
adequate, as it helps in depicting the financial performance of the organisation to its
stakeholders. The relevancy of the information is high, which allows the investors in
maximising the level of returns that might be generate from investment. This might also help
in understanding the level of operations, which is conducted by the organisation during the
current fiscal year.
Comparable:

CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING PRACTICE
6
The GRI report drafted by BHP Billiton and ANZ Bank is relevantly comparable with
other reports of its competitions. This mainly helps in understanding viability of the annual
report, which could depict financial condition of both the companies.
4.ii. Critically evaluating each report by considering consistency with relevant
standards or Framework:
The GRI report is mainly evaluated in accordance with the current standards or
frameworks, which depict the current financial condition of the organisation. Both BHP
Billiton and ANZ Bank relevantly depicts the framework of the organisation, where the
companies adequately support the framework guidelines. The relevant aim of GRI
Framework aims in enabling the third parties to adequately assess environmental impact of
activities conducted by the company and its supply chain. With the help of GRI measure
organisation needs to provide all the relevant information, which discloses their critical
impacts that have both positive and negative impact on environment, society, and the
economy. In this context, Hahn & Lulfs (2014) stated that sustainability reporting guidelines
relevantly indicates the positive measures, which might depict the accurate position of the
organisation. On the contrary, Calabrese et al., (2017) argued that some companies do not
follow the GRI guidelines, which does not depict their actual financial performance.
Therefore, from the evaluation of BHP Billiton and ANZ Bank GRI repot it could be
understood that company has effectively followed the relevant framework. This relevantly
indicates the significant sustainability of the organisation in depicting the financial
performance of the organisation.

CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING PRACTICE
7
4.iii. Critically evaluating each report by considering how well the information would
meet stakeholders needs:
The current sustainability report depicted by BHP Billiton and ANZ Bank mainly
indicates the financial position of both the companies. In addition, the GRI report mainly
depicts the sustainable measures, which is conducted by companies in contemplating their
operations. Furthermore, the evaluation also helps in understanding the level of ethical
operations that is conducted by the companies. The stakeholders with the help of GRI report
is able to understand the financial performance of the organisation. The stakeholders also
evaluates the current information, which have positive and negative impact on environment,
society, and the economy (Globalreporting.org, 2018).

CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING PRACTICE
8
Reference and Bibliography:
Anz.com. (2018). Anz.com. Retrieved 9 June 2018, from
http://www.anz.com/about-us/corporate-sustainability/reporting-performance/
sustainability-reporting/
Belkhir, L., Bernard, S., & Abdelgadir, S. (2017). Does GRI reporting impact environmental
sustainability? A cross-industry analysis of CO2 emissions performance between
GRI-reporting and non-reporting companies. Management of Environmental Quality:
An International Journal, 28(2), 138-155.
Bernard, S., Abdelgadir, S., & Belkhir, L. (2015). Does GRI reporting impact environmental
sustainability? An industry-specific analysis of CO2 emissions performance between
reporting and non-reporting companies. Journal of Sustainable Development, 8(9),
190.
Calabrese, A., Costa, R., Ghiron, N. L., & Menichini, T. (2017). To be, or not to be, that is
the Question. Is Sustainability Report Reliable?. European Journal of Sustainable
Development, 6(3), 519-526.
del Mar Alonso-Almeida, M., Marimon, F., Casani, F., & Rodriguez-Pomeda, J. (2015).
Diffusion of sustainability reporting in universities: current situation and future
perspectives. Journal of Cleaner Production, 106, 144-154.
Global Reporting Initiative. (2014). Materiality in the context of the GRI reporting
framework. Retrieved April, 18.
Globalreporting.org. (2018). Globalreporting.org. Retrieved 9 June 2018, from
https://www.globalreporting.org/Pages/FR-BHPBilliton-2017.aspx

CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING PRACTICE
9
Globalreporting.org. (2018). Globalreporting.org. Retrieved 9 June 2018, from
https://www.globalreporting.org/information/g4/Pages/default.aspx
Globalreporting.org. (2018). Globalreporting.org. Retrieved 9 June 2018, from
https://www.globalreporting.org/Information/about-gri/Pages/default.aspx
Godha, A., & Jain, P. (2015). Sustainability reporting trend in Indian companies as per GRI
framework: a comparative study. South Asian Journal of Business and Management
Cases, 4(1), 62-73.
Hahn, R., & Lülfs, R. (2014). Legitimizing negative aspects in GRI-oriented sustainability
reporting: A qualitative analysis of corporate disclosure strategies. Journal of business
ethics, 123(3), 401-420.
Lin, I. H. H., Chang, O., & Chang, C. A. (2015). Perceptions of gri reporting guidelines.
International Journal of Sustainability Policy and Practice, 9(4), 35-54.