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Accounting for carbon and reframing disclosure: A business model approach

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  • Haslam, Colin
  • Butlin, John
  • Andersson, Tord
  • Malamatenios, John
  • Lehman, Glen

Abstract

This paper contributes to the research in accounting and the debate about the nature of carbon footprint reporting for society. This paper utilises numbers and narratives to explore changes in carbon footprint using UK national carbon emissions data for the period 1990–2009 and six years (2006–2011) of carbon emissions data for the FTSE 100 group of companies and a case study that focuses on the UK mixed grocery sector. Our argument is that existing approaches to framing carbon disclosure generate malleable, inconsistent and irreconcilable numbers and narratives. In this paper we argue for an alternative framing of carbon disclosure informed by a reporting entities business model. Specifically, we suggest, that a reporting entity disclose its carbon–material stakeholder relations. This alternative, we argue, would increase the visibility of carbon generating stakeholder relations and avoid some of the difficulties and arbitrariness associated with framing carbon disclosure around a reporting entity boundary where judgements have to be made about responsibility and operational control.

Suggested Citation

  • Haslam, Colin & Butlin, John & Andersson, Tord & Malamatenios, John & Lehman, Glen, 2014. "Accounting for carbon and reframing disclosure: A business model approach," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 200-211.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:accfor:v:38:y:2014:i:3:p:200-211
    DOI: 10.1016/j.accfor.2014.04.002
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    Cited by:

    1. Erli Dan & Jianfei Shen & Yiwei Guo, 2023. "Corporate Sustainable Growth, Carbon Performance, and Voluntary Carbon Information Disclosure: New Panel Data Evidence for Chinese Listed Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-27, March.
    2. Rong He & Le Luo & Abul Shamsuddin & Qingliang Tang, 2022. "Corporate carbon accounting: a literature review of carbon accounting research from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(1), pages 261-298, March.
    3. Meenakshi Sharma & Rajesh Kaushal & Prashant Kaushik & Seeram Ramakrishna, 2021. "Carbon Farming: Prospects and Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-15, October.
    4. Samuel Tang & David Demeritt, 2018. "Climate Change and Mandatory Carbon Reporting: Impacts on Business Process and Performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 437-455, May.
    5. Khaled Alsaifi & Marwa Elnahass & Abdullah M. Al-Awadhi & Aly Salama, 2022. "Carbon disclosure and firm risk: evidence from the UK corporate responses to climate change," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 12(3), pages 505-526, September.
    6. Fan, Hanlu & Tang, Qingliang & Pan, Lipeng, 2021. "An international study of carbon information asymmetry and independent carbon assurance," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(1).
    7. Haslam Colin & Hoinaru Razvan & Daniel Buda, 2019. "Accounting for the future: How will corporate business models deliver sustainability?," Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, Sciendo, vol. 13(1), pages 817-828, May.
    8. Binh Bui & Carolyn Fowler, 2022. "Carbon controls in a New Zealand electricity utility: An application of theoretical triangulation," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(4), pages 4423-4451, December.
    9. Khaled Alsaifi & Marwa Elnahass & Aly Salama, 2020. "Carbon disclosure and financial performance: UK environmental policy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 711-726, February.

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