Sustainability reporting assessment for quality and compliance: the case of Ukrainian banks’ management reports

The paper deals with the analysis of methodology of Environmental Performance Index. The authors analyzed and systematized the main existing integrated indices, which were used for evaluation of environmental, social and economic situation in the countries. The authors allocated the environmental performance index as a basis for analyzing the environmental policy of the country. In this direction, the authors analysed the main features, structure and indicators of environmental performance index. The authors allocated the world-leader countries with huge level of CO2 emissions. According to the results, the authors aproved that these countries should improve their environmental policy. Accordingly, they occupied less position in environmental performance index. For the purpose to analyze the relation between ecological, social and economic welfare, the authors analyzed score of sustainable development goal index, social progress index and gross domestic product per capita. The comparison analysis of findings showed that countries with good position on environmental performance index have the strong position on sustainable development goal index and social progress index. The authors suggested that Ukraine should orient to the EU countries with purpose to improve the environmental policy.

In the article, the essence of the concept of a banking institution “capitalization” is revealed. The current state of capitalization level of domestic banks is investigated. The directions of strengthening the capitalization are offered, which will increase the com¬petitiveness of domestic banking institutions in the world financial market and will ensure the national economy stability on the way toward integration into the world economy.
It is proved that the prospects for the development of any bank are largely determined by its capitalization level. Lack of proper development inhibits both individual banks and the banking sector as a whole.
In the context of the recent financial crisis, the provision of sufficient capital for banks has been one of the key issues, because the lack of capital was the greatest threat to the banking system stability. With this in mind, the issue of the banking system capitaliza¬tion is particularly topical.
Today, the development of the Ukrainian banking system under economic instability has faced the increase in competitiveness of domestic banks compared with foreign ones, in order to preserve the national priorities of the banking system in general under conditions of foreign capital movement.
The processes of concentration in the banking system of Ukraine are analyzed using Herfindahl-Hirschman index in terms of assets and equity, allowing to estimate the level of monopolization and, therefore, the impact on economic development. To con¬sider the increase in the level of capitalization and reliability of the banking institutions of Ukraine, it would be advisable, first of all, for banks to improve the quality of capital and to ensure a sufficient level of coverage of risks taken by banks.

In recent years, all economically developed countries of the world experience formation of knowledge economy as the highest stage of postindustrial economy development. International companies, basing their activity on accumulation of human capital according to the principles of innovativeness, scientific nature, continuity and progressiveness, play an important role in activation of this process. Owing to global nature of their activity it influences all spheres of human life in the world, improving it, as well as having an adverse impact (enhancement of poverty in some regions of the word, environment pollution, etc.). Achievement of these conditions of sustainable economic growth is possible just by the way of prevention of the adverse impact, which, among other things, depends on the active social position of the management of international companies. Therefore this paper is aimed at identification of priority focuses of socially responsible activity of international companies. This goal was achieved through generalization of basic program initiatives of the activity of three companies, leading in innovations (Apple, Samsung and IBM). Adoption of the above-mentioned initiatives by other companies of the world as guides while developing their own development strategy has to facilitate the growth of positive effects from enhancement of knowledge economy in the world.