Accounting for Sustainability

Sustainable development in its various dimensions (economic, environmental, and social) is considered an important issue at global and local levels. It has gained importance for several reasons, the most important of which is the damage, emissions, and waste from companies operating in various sectors. Therefore, for companies to achieve sustainable development requirements regarding the environmental dimension, they must demonstrate their impact and performance on environmental activities to protect the environment and society, which requires them to measure and then disclose this impact. The significance of this study is underscored by

The paper aims to set out several key issues in relation to climate change research based on accounting and accountability. It also outlines using a case study of the Pacific Islands about the problem of uncertainty in relation to climate change, particularly in regards to the rising water levels and potential relocation of peasants from the atoll islands of Kiribati, Tuvalu and Marshall Islands. The literature on climate change accounting and the archival data on climate change from the Pacific Islands are reviewed. Some interviews with people located on the coastal areas of the Pacific Islands known to one of the researchers are conducted. The interviewees are from Kiribati and Fiji. Despite growing corporate activity on climate change, no meaningful progress is being made on GHG emissions reduction, and in some cases no meaningful progress is being made on natural Kyoto emission reduction targets, suggesting the continuation of a relatively weak policy regimes and 'business-as-usual'. However, the Paris agreement recognized the specific needs and special circumstances of developing countries and acknowledged that climate change is a common concern of human kind. The agreement resolved to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2º above preindustrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 º above preindustrial level. Such modest increase would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. The research is limited to Pacific Islands only but provides avenue for such work to be extended to other research settings as well. The call for more research on climate change is arguably more relevant today given misgivings on market-based solutions and the consensus reached from the Paris agreement recently. There has been relatively little work done in climate change accounting in the Pacific Islands where an immense impact has been felt on people's lives and livelihoods as well as on important industries such as agriculture and tourism as a consequence of climate change such as rising water levels.

Purpose This paper aims to focus on a global consulting company and examine how it struggled to establish an effective environmental management control system for carbon emissions for its employees’ air travel. The organisation was motivated to reduce its carbon emissions both to comply with regulation and to enhance or maintain corporate reputation. Design/methodology/approach The paper takes a case study approach, examining internal and external documents as well as conducting interviews with senior staff. Findings The case study investigates how Beta’s management implemented a system to reduce carbon emissions. The organisation focused on air travel, but the study finds that employee travel preferences did not radically change. Rather than reduction in carbon emissions, as planned by head office, air travel carbon emissions actually increased during the period, and, as a consequence, the reported reduction targets were significantly adjusted downwards to meet the new realities. P...

Theme Paper for 2014 London Global Convention, incorporating 13th International Conference on Corporate Governance & Sustainability. Raises a series of questions for directors and boards in relation to their role, corporate governance and sustainability to raise questions ahead of the 2014 London Global Convention and International Conference on Corporate Governance and Sustainability.

This study provides evidence on the probability of adopting an accounting approach for emission allowances and greenhouse gas emissions as a function of each company's GHG emissions performance. The different accounting treatments adopted by national standard-setters and the lack of specific guidance from the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB) allow identification of the use of multiple accounting approaches. Based on a sample of 85 companies registered with the Portuguese, Spanish, and French National Plans of Allocation, data collected from the annual reports were analysed for the period 2008-2014. The results suggest that the probability of adopting omission strategies is positively associated with better GHG emissions performances. It addresses the importance of introducing the transactions of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) in financial reporting as the visibility of the costs of polluting is one of the purposes of the market mechanism.

Carbon cost management plays the key role in response to carbon market changes. According to the literature review in China and abroad, this paper breaks the limitations of existing literatures which just focus on discussing the concept of carbon cost management and accounting the carbon cost in operating activities. Combined with the management accounting role definition of full participation in business decision and based on the value chain theory, this paper introduces marketing, human resource management etc. in carbon cost management accounting scope. Also, it recognizes carbon management factors and provides accounting formulas to build a total carbon cost management system and draw its panorama. With this total carbon cost management system, companies could acquire accurate carbon cost statistics to support their business decisions in carbon market.

The paper aims to set out several key issues in relation to climate change research based on accounting and accountability. It also outlines using a case study of the Pacific Islands about the problem of uncertainty in relation to climate change, particularly in regards to the rising water levels and potential relocation of peasants from the atoll islands of Kiribati, Tuvalu and Marshall Islands. The literature on climate change accounting and the archival data on climate change from the Pacific Islands are reviewed. Some interviews with people located on the coastal areas of the Pacific Islands known to one of the researchers are conducted. The interviewees are from Kiribati and Fiji. Despite growing corporate activity on climate change, no meaningful progress is being made on GHG emissions reduction, and in some cases no meaningful progress is being made on natural Kyoto emission reduction targets, suggesting the continuation of a relatively weak policy regimes and 'business-as-usual'. However, the Paris agreement recognized the specific needs and special circumstances of developing countries and acknowledged that climate change is a common concern of human kind. The agreement resolved to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2º above preindustrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 º above preindustrial level. Such modest increase would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. The research is limited to Pacific Islands only but provides avenue for such work to be extended to other research settings as well. The call for more research on climate change is arguably more relevant today given misgivings on market-based solutions and the consensus reached from the Paris agreement recently. There has been relatively little work done in climate change accounting in the Pacific Islands where an immense impact has been felt on people's lives and livelihoods as well as on important industries such as agriculture and tourism as a consequence of climate change such as rising water levels.

Purpose: This case study explores how a global company does or does not adapt to climate change through changes in managerial action. Specifically, the research concerns a travel project in a global consulting company based in London, the stated aim of which was a 25% reduction of carbon emission generated by air travel in one year. The research explores the actions undertaken to achieve carbon emission reduction. Design: A case study method is employed to follow the travel project over one year to examine its contributions, if any, to carbon emission reduction. Findings: Several solutions were implemented by management aimed at reducing carbon emission by air travel. Travel incentive schemes to reduce flight travel were implemented, with a focus on new communication technology. Despite significant managerial effort, carbon was not reduced. When, at the completion of the analysis, the stated objective of achieving 25% carbon emission reduction had not been met, the company instead c...

The paper aims to set out several key issues in relation to climate change research based on accounting and accountability. It also outlines using a case study of the Pacific Islands about the problem of uncertainty in relation to climate change, particularly in regards to the rising water levels and potential relocation of peasants from the atoll islands of Kiribati, Tuvalu and Marshall Islands. The literature on climate change accounting and the archival data on climate change from the Pacific Islands are reviewed. Some interviews with people located on the coastal areas of the Pacific Islands known to one of the researchers are conducted. The interviewees are from Kiribati and Fiji. Despite growing corporate activity on climate change, no meaningful progress is being made on GHG emissions reduction, and in some cases no meaningful progress is being made on natural Kyoto emission reduction targets, suggesting the continuation of a relatively weak policy regimes and 'business-as-usual'. However, the Paris agreement recognized the specific needs and special circumstances of developing countries and acknowledged that climate change is a common concern of human kind. The agreement resolved to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2º above preindustrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 º above preindustrial level. Such modest increase would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. The research is limited to Pacific Islands only but provides avenue for such work to be extended to other research settings as well. The call for more research on climate change is arguably more relevant today given misgivings on market-based solutions and the consensus reached from the Paris agreement recently. There has been relatively little work done in climate change accounting in the Pacific Islands where an immense impact has been felt on people's lives and livelihoods as well as on important industries such as agriculture and tourism as a consequence of climate change such as rising water levels.

The paper aims to set out several key issues in relation to climate change research based on accounting and accountability. It also outlines using a case study of the Pacific Islands about the problem of uncertainty in relation to climate change, particularly in regards to the rising water levels and potential relocation of peasants from the atoll islands of Kiribati, Tuvalu and Marshall Islands. The literature on climate change accounting and the archival data on climate change from the Pacific Islands are reviewed. Some interviews with people located on the coastal areas of the Pacific Islands known to one of the researchers are conducted. The interviewees are from Kiribati and Fiji. Despite growing corporate activity on climate change, no meaningful progress is being made on GHG emissions reduction, and in some cases no meaningful progress is being made on natural Kyoto emission reduction targets, suggesting the continuation of a relatively weak policy regimes and 'business-as-usual'. However, the Paris agreement recognized the specific needs and special circumstances of developing countries and acknowledged that climate change is a common concern of human kind. The agreement resolved to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2º above preindustrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 º above preindustrial level. Such modest increase would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. The research is limited to Pacific Islands only but provides avenue for such work to be extended to other research settings as well. The call for more research on climate change is arguably more relevant today given misgivings on market-based solutions and the consensus reached from the Paris agreement recently. There has been relatively little work done in climate change accounting in the Pacific Islands where an immense impact has been felt on people's lives and livelihoods as well as on important industries such as agriculture and tourism as a consequence of climate change such as rising water levels.

This article reports how Japanese stakeholders considered the impact, be that positive or negative, of IFRS on Japanese businesses, economy and society. IFRS had initially been considered for mandatory adoption in Japan but the vast majority lobbied against it, resulting in the change of the plan.

Raises questions concerning current approaches to governance, reporting and regulation and whether or not vested interests and others are ignoring or overlooking their costs, disadvantages and the lack of positive impacts in certain areas. So many questions are raised as to suggest their overall impact may have been counter-productive and that a price has been paid for current obsessions in terms of relevance, economy, simplicity, proportionality, adaptability, flexibility and a diversity of board types and arrangements to suit the distinct and changing requirements of individual and growing companies.

This news article presents selected points from the theme paper of the 2014 London Global Convention on Governance and Sustainability. The full version is: Colin Coulson-Thomas (2014), Boards to Lead: Effective Corporate Governance and Sustainability, Theme Paper for 2014 London Global Convention, incorporating 13th International Conference on Corporate Governance & Sustainability

Raises questions concerning governance, sustainability and the cost-effectiveness of current approaches and vested interests and introduces the new leadership required in corporate boardrooms to address them. This theme paper for the 2014 London Global Convention incorporating the 13th International Conference on Corporate Governance & Sustainability is designed to encourage discussion and debate among attending business leaders, policy makers and opinion formers.