“Round Table Conference on Ideal Approaches to Information Disclosure of Companies: Challenges and Future Directions (Interim Report)” Compiled

Outline

In recent years, companies have been increasing the volume of corporate disclosure. In particular, Japanese companies have been advancing corporate disclosure through a variety of media (annual securities reports, business reports and financial statements, and integrated reports, etc.), including voluntary reports. Despite this progress, as noted by some both inside and outside Japan, Japanese companies are facing challenges in corporate disclosure, as seen in the complexity of the disclosure system, the need to improve the content of disclosure, and the increase in the volume of disclosure.

In order to achieve sustainable improvements in corporate value through constructive dialogue and engagement with investors, it is considered necessary to consider ideal approaches to making disclosure more efficient and effective for both companies and investors, including tailoring disclosure to the needs of investors.

With the awareness of this problem in mind, the conference reviewed the current situation of corporate disclosure by Japanese companies based on a comparison with the situation of overseas companies, and in light of this, it held discussions on challenges in corporate disclosure faced by Japanese companies and future directions of disclosure mainly from two perspectives: [i] disclosure systems themselves and [ii] corporate disclosure that contributes to improving corporate value, including sustainability information. As a result of the three meetings held by the conference to date, METI hereby releases an interim report.

To access the interim report, please visit this link.

Related Links

• Round Table Conference on Ideal Approaches to Information Disclosure of Companies (in Japanese)
• Study Group on Guidelines for the Disclosure of Non-Financial Information (in Japanese)
• Working Group on the Efficient Collection and Strategic Use of Sustainability-Related Data (in Japanese)

Division in Charge

Corporate Accounting, Disclosure and CSR Policy Office, Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau