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Green accounting: Reflections from a CSR and environmental disclosure perspective

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  • Cho, Charles H.
  • Patten, Dennis M.

Abstract

In this commentary, we reflect on Thornton's (2013) extension to his original CA Magazine article on environmental accounting (Thornton, 1993) as well as the original contribution. Given our background in social and environmental disclosure research, we question Thornton's narrow focus on environmental accounting as it relates to the debits and credits of financial reporting, and we attempt to illustrate the problems that voluntary environmental disclosure creates with respect to reduced incentives for companies to improve environmental performance. We conclude by identifying our concerns with the future of environmental accounting given the recent ‘rediscovery’ of the topic by mainstream accounting researchers.

Suggested Citation

  • Cho, Charles H. & Patten, Dennis M., 2013. "Green accounting: Reflections from a CSR and environmental disclosure perspective," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 443-447.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:crpeac:v:24:y:2013:i:6:p:443-447
    DOI: 10.1016/j.cpa.2013.04.003
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Deegan, Craig, 2017. "Twenty five years of social and environmental accounting research within Critical Perspectives of Accounting: Hits, misses and ways forward," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 65-87.
    3. Fatih Özcan & Meral Elçi, 2020. "Employees’ Perception of CSR Affecting Employer Brand, Brand Image, and Corporate Reputation," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(4), pages 21582440209, November.
    4. Andrew Osei Agyemang & Kong Yusheng & Angelina Kissiwaa Twum & Emmanuel Caesar Ayamba & Maxwell Kongkuah & Mohammed Musah, 2021. "Trend and relationship between environmental accounting disclosure and environmental performance for mining companies listed in China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 12192-12216, August.
    5. Charles H. Cho & Jonathan Maurice & Emmanuelle Nègre & Marie-Anne Verdier, 2016. "Is environmental disclosure good for the environment? A meta-analysis and research agenda," Post-Print halshs-01369422, HAL.
    6. Deegan, Craig, 2013. "The accountant will have a central role in saving the planet … really? A reflection on ‘green accounting and green eyeshades twenty years later’," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 448-458.
    7. Lee, Hsui-Yu & Liu, Chi-Fang & Lin, Chien-Ho, 2020. "Intellectual capital for green accounting in agribusiness," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 23(5), March.
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    9. Abdul Waheed & Qingyu Zhang & Yasir Rashid & Muhammad Sohail Tahir & Muhammad Wasif Zafar, 2020. "Impact of green manufacturing on consumer ecological behavior: Stakeholder engagement through green production and innovation," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(5), pages 1395-1403, September.
    10. Leonardo Becchetti & Sara Mancini & Nazaria Solferino, 2021. "The Effect of Mandatory Non-financial Reporting on CSR (and Environmentally Sustainable) Investment: a Discontinuity Design Approach," CEIS Research Paper 528, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 15 Nov 2021.
    11. Changchun Zhu & Na Li & Jing Ma, 2023. "Environmental backgrounds of CEOs and corporate environmental management information disclosure: The mediating effects of financing constraints and media attention," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(6), pages 2885-2905, November.
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    13. Antonio Corvino & Silvio Bianchi Martini & Federica Doni, 2021. "Extinction accounting and accountability: Empirical evidence from the west European tissue industry," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 2556-2570, July.
    14. Jimin Shim & Joonho Moon & Won Seok Lee & Namho Chung, 2021. "The Impact of CSR on Corporate Value of Restaurant Businesses Using Triple Bottom Line Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-14, February.
    15. Spence, Crawford & Chabrak, Nihel & Pucci, Richard, 2013. "Doxic sunglasses: A response to “Green accounting and Green Eyeshades: Twenty years later”," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 469-473.
    16. Gray, Rob, 2013. "Back to basics: What do we mean by environmental (and social) accounting and what is it for?—A reaction to Thornton," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 459-468.
    17. Antonio Bontempi & Daniela Bene & Louisa Jane Felice, 2023. "Counter-reporting sustainability from the bottom up: the case of the construction company WeBuild and dam-related conflicts," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(1), pages 7-32, January.
    18. Susi Susilawati & Dian Arifiyanti & Samukri & Maria Suryaningsih & Arlis Dewi Kuraesin, 2024. "Green Accounting, CSR Disclosure, Firm Value, and Profitability Mediation," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 1, pages 14-26.
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    20. Lehman, Glen, 2017. "The language of environmental and social accounting research: The expression of beauty and truth," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 30-41.

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