Developing a subsector-specific ESG materiality framework with standards alignment: Evidence from India’s natural gas sector
India’s natural gas sector is pivotal to energy security and economic growth, yet faces increasing pressure to align with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles amid the nation’s low-carbon transition. This study develops and evaluates subsector-specific ESG materiality frameworks, integrating perspectives from internal stakeholders (e.g., employees with experience or knowledge of sustainability/ESG and at different hierarchical levels) and external stakeholders (e.g., regulators, non-governmental organizations, suppliers, and customers) through surveys and expert interviews. Materiality matrices from gas sector segments (i.e., upstream, midstream, downstream, and integrated operations) highlight greenhouse gas emissions, water management, and stakeholder engagement as priorities, with sectoral differences: upstream activities focus on emissions, whereas downstream operations emphasize energy efficiency—identified using Kruskal–Wallis tests (e.g., p = 0.014 for greenhouse gas emissions). Correlation analyses revealed strong links, such as between emissions and low-carbon strategies (τ = 0.58–0.65), guiding materiality prioritization. Alignment with global standards (e.g., Global Reporting Initiative, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association) and India’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting framework was robust for environmental factors but weak in biodiversity (16.7%), supply chain sustainability (25%), and Sustainable Development Goals 5 (gender equality) and 14 (life below water). These gaps highlight opportunities for tailored ESG strategies. Recommendations include collaborative platforms, advanced analytics, and regulatory incentives to enhance compliance and address stakeholder expectations. The framework provides a strategic guide for sustainable practices, strengthening the sector’s resilience and supporting India’s sustainable energy future.

- Threlfall R, King A, Shulman J, Bartels W. The time has come: The KPMG survey of sustainability reporting 2020. KPMG; 2020. Available from: https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmgsites/uk/pdf/2020/12/the-time-has-come-kpmg-survey-of-sustainability-reporting-2020.pdf [Last accessed on 28 Jan 2026].
- Walter J. Towards common metrics and consistent reporting of sustainable value creation. World Economic Forum; 2020. Available from: https://www.weforum.org/publications/measuring-stakeholder-capitalism-towards-common-metrics-and-consistent-reporting-of-sustainable-value- creation/ [Last accessed on 28 Jan 2026].
- Halkos G, Nomikos S. Corporate social responsibility: trends in global reporting initiative standards. Econ Anal Policy. 2021;69:106-117. doi: 10.1016/j.eap.2020.11.008
- Gupta Business responsibility and sustainability reporting by listed entities. Securities and Exchange Board of India; 2021. Available from: https://www.sebi.gov.in/legal/circulars/may-2021/business-responsibility-and- sustainability-reporting-by-listed-entities_50096.html [Last accessed on 28 Jan 2026].
- Sustainability reporting guidance for the oil and gas industry. Module 2: Governance and business ethics. IPIECA; 2020. Available from: https://www.ipieca.org/ resources/sustainability-reporting-guidance# [Last accessed on 28 Jan 2026].
- Chourasia S, Pandey SM. Stimulus towards ESG in India and GHG protocol with measurable metrological tools: progresses and challenges. MAPAN. 2025;40(1):175-201. doi: 10.1007/s12647-024-00798-3
- The move to mandatory reporting: survey of sustainability reporting 2024. KPMG International; 2024. Available from: https://kpmg.com/xx/en/our-insights/esg/the-move-to-mandatory-reporting.html [Last accessed on 28 Jan 2026].
- van Dijk L, Hijink S, in ’t Veld L. Corporate sustainability reporting. EBI Studies in Banking and Capital Markets Law. Springer International Publishing; 2024.
- Acharya A, Sharma Rana S. Creating greener pathways achieving net zero in the oil and gas industry. Acad Mark Stud J. 2024;28(3):1-17. Available from: https://www.abacademies.org/articles/creating-greener-pathwaysachieving-net-zero-in-the-oil-and-gas-industry.pdf [Last accessed on 17 Jul 2025].
- Khaitan & Co. ESG in APAC 2024 India. Slaughter and May Insights Series. 2024;29-35. Available from: https://www.slaughterandmay.com/media/hfihl35x/esg-in-apac-2024.pdf [Last accessed on 17 Jul 2025].
- Pandey K. Latest ESG reporting rules redefine key suppliers and customers of listed companies. Mongabay India. 2025. Available from: https://india.mongabay.com/2025/04/latest-esg-reporting-rules-redefine-key-suppliers-and-customers-of-listed-companies/ [Last accessed on 17 Jul 2025].
- Securities and Exchange Board of India. BRSR core - framework for assurance and ESG disclosures for value chain. SEBI; 2023. Available from: https://www.sebi.gov.in/legal/circulars/jul-2023/brsr-core-framework-for- assurance-and-esg-disclosures-for-value-chain_73854.html [Last accessed on 28 Jan 2026].
- Bhattacharyya S. Major oil and gas firms ramp up voluntary ESG reporting: EY. ESG Dive. 2024. Available from: https://www.esgdive.com/news/ey-oil-gas-benchmark-voluntary- esg-reporting-ghg-assurance/725764/ [Last accessed on 17 Jul 2025].
- Bamel N, Khatri K, Bamel U, Kumar S. ESG disclosure and firm performance in global south economy: does industry profile moderate the relationship. Int Rev Econ Finance. 2025;100:104093. doi: 10.1016/j.iref.2025.104093
- Sharma P. The current state of BRSR at corporate India: sustainability disclosures improving, but data quality issues persist. CFA Institute; 2024. Available from: https://rpc.cfainstitute.org/research/reports/2024/the-current-state-of-brsr-at-corporate-india [Last accessed on 17 Jul 2025].
- Baratta A, Cimino A, Longo F, Solina V, Verteramo S. The impact of ESG practices in industry with a focus on carbon emissions: insights and future perspectives. Sustainability. 2023;15(8):6685. doi: 10.3390/su15086685
- Gupta V. An analysis of environmental disclosure and emission reporting by Indian companies. NCGG; 2024. Available from: http://www.ncgg.org.in/sites/default/files/lectures-document/Vinayak.pdf [Last accessed on 28 Jan 2026].
- Mohanty A, Priya VK, Paithe UN, Mohanty A. E of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) in India: reporting, review and future prospects. Discov glob Soc. 2025;3(1):136doi: 10.1007/s44282-025-00288-0
- Fogarty MJ, Rosenberg AA, Cooper AB, et al. Fishery production potential of large marine ecosystems: a prototype analysis. Environ Dev. 2016;17:211-219. doi: 10.1016/j.envdev.2016.02.001
- Sarkar S, Moolearambil Sukumaran Nair M, Datta A. Role of environmental, social, and governance in achieving the UN sustainable development goals: a special focus on India. Environ Prog Sustain Energy. 2023; 42(6):e14204. doi: 10.1002/ep.14204
- Arora N, Sethi R. A bibliometric review of literature on ESG disclosure with specific focus on CEO traits. IUP J Corp Gov. 2025;24(3):24-50. doi: 10.71329/IUPJCG/2025.24.3.24-50
- Kabra A. Locating the future of ESG in India’s present sustainability framework. Asian J Bus Ethics. 2024;13(1):137- 173. doi: 10.1007/s13520-024-00191-y
- Desikan J, Devi AJ. Oil and gas industries in India - a case study. Int J Case Stud Bus IT Educ. 2022:110-125. doi: 10.47992/IJCSBE.2581.6942.0154
- Motwani A, Gupta R. ESG reporting: environmental dimension disclosures by large energy sector companies in India. Eur J Theor Appl Sci. 2023;1(2):108-118. doi: 10.59324/ejtas.2023.1(2).11
- Bania S, Biswas J. An analysis of key environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics in several important manufacturing segments of India. Indian J Corp Gov. 2024;17(2):202-233. doi: 10.1177/09746862241276938
- Stekhoven DJ, Buhlmann P. MissForest - non-parametric missing value imputation for mixed-type Bioinformatics. 2012;28(1):112-118. doi: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btr597
- Wickham H, Navarro D, Pedersen TL. ggplot2: elegant graphics for data analysis. Springer; 2016. Available from: https://ggplot2-book.org/ [Last accessed on 28 Jan 2026].
- Wickham H, François R, Henry L, Muller K, Vaughan D. dplyr: a grammar of data manipulation. R package. The Comprehensive R Archive Network; 2026. Available from: https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/dplyr/index.html [Last accessed on 28 Jan 2026].
- Pohlert T. PMCMRplus: calculate pairwise multiple comparisons of mean rank sums extended (R package version 1.9.8) [software]. Posted 2024. Available from: https://cran.rproject.org/web/packages/PMCMRplus/PMCMRplus.pdf [Last accessed on 28 Jan 2026].
- Gidage M, Bhide S. ESG performance and green innovation nexus: insights from Indian manufacturing titans. Bus Strategy Environ. 2025;34(7):8686-8703. doi: 10.1002/bse.70041
- Singhania M, Saini N. Institutional framework of ESG disclosures: comparative analysis of developed and developing countries. J Sustain Finance Invest. 2023;13(1):516-559. doi: 10.1080/20430795.2021.1964810
- Swain B, Kerketta S, Dey SK. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting practices in India: evidence from listed power sector companies. J Commerce Account Res. 2024;13(3):44-54. doi: 10.21863/jcar/2024.13.3.005
- Khamisu MS, Paluri RA. Emerging trends of environmental social and governance (ESG) disclosure research. Cleaner Prod Lett. 2024;7:100079. doi: 10.1016/j.clpl.2024.100079
- Senadheera SS, Withana PA, Dissanayake PD, et al. Scoring environment pillar in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) assessment. Sustain Environ. 2021;7(1):1-7. doi: 10.1080/27658511.2021.1960097
- Stakeholder Empowerment Services. ESG analysis on top 200 listed companies: a step towards sustainable future. SES; 2025. Available from: https://www.sesgovernance.com/esg- pdf/photo_1755777353_ESG-Analysis-on-Top-200-Listed-Companies---A-Step-Towards-Sustainable-Future---2025.pdf [Last accessed on 28 Jan 2026].
- Kumar P, Firoz M. Accounting for certified emission reductions (CERs) in India: an analysis of the disclosure and reporting practices within the financial statements. Meditari Account Res. 2020;28(2):365-389. doi: 10.1108/MEDAR-01-2019-0428
- Kumar A, Jaisinghani D, Tiwari S. Oil India Limited- overcoming the challenges in competency planning. Emerald Emerg Mark Case Stud. 2020;10(1):1-20. doi: 10.1108/EEMCS-09-2019-0243
- Thomas S, Thankalayam S, Shaji BC, AR G. Environmental sustainability in India: progress, challenges, and the role of society, media and legal framework towards SDGs implementation. Int J Environ Sci. 2025;11(6):490-497. doi: 10.64252/b3b1cq97
