Environmental Performance and Influence of Select Variables on Environmental Disclosure of Major Industrial Units of Assam: An Empirical Study

Abstract

In the recent times, the issue of environmental protection and sustainable development has received increased attention all over the globe. Now, industries are also increasingly realizing their role in environmental protection and sustainable development. As in other parts of India, the growth of industries in Assam has also been guided by the necessity of increasing production. For protection of environment and sustainable development, different industries of Assam are committed to abide by the environmental norms and various conditions stipulated by the Government of India. This paper is an attempt to analyze the environmental protection performance by the major industrial units of Assam. It has been observed that out of the 25 sample companies under 10 industry groups in Assam, 21 (84%) companies disclosed their environmental information. However, almost all the sample companies disclosed some information on steps taken towards environmental protection. The study observed a very strong positive correlation between the size of firms and the level of corporate environmental disclosure among the major industries in Assam. The findings revealed that there is a need for proper guidelines and framework for environmental performance by the industries in Assam.