Analysis of Sustainability Practices Integration Among Publicly Listed Companies: Country-Specific Case Study

The adoption of sustainability practices in emerging economies like Botswana remains under-researched. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the sustainability practices of selected listed companies in Botswana during 2022 and 2023. The research provides empirical insights into how industries in Botswana engage with sustainability frameworks and their impact on corporate performance, contributing valuable data to the existing literature on sustainability in the MENA region. Using a quantitative content analysis method, the study analyzed sustainability disclosures across environmental, social, and governance (ESG) pillars. The narrative approach enabled a focused examination of reporting trends within a short time frame, capturing changes across various selected sectors. Key findings reveal that social sustainability practices were the most reported, accounting for 52% of disclosures in 2023 and 51% in 2022. Governance practices followed at 30% in 2023 and 33% in 2022, while environmental disclosures were the least represented at 18% in 2023 and 16% in 2022. Sector analysis identified the mining industry as the leading contributor to sustainability disclosures, with agriculture also showing notable engagement. These findings offer practical recommendations and implications for firms looking to enhance their sustainability strategies, particularly in improving environmental and governance practices and policymakers aiming to develop effective regulations. Firms can use the research findings to strategically strengthen their sustainability initiatives especially by enhancing environmental and governance practices while regulators and policymakers can translate these insights into targeted policies that promote deeper, sector-wide integration of sustainability, ensuring both business competitiveness and alignment with broader development goals.