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Biodiversity reporting in Denmark

Author

Listed:
  • Dennis van Liempd
  • Jacob Busch

Abstract

Purpose - This paper aims to suggest that companies have ethical reasons to report about biodiversity issues and to investigate whether companies act on these reasons by examining the extent of biodiversity reporting in Denmark. Design/methodology/approach - For the first purpose, desk research was conducted using consequentialist ethics, while for the second purpose, data were gathered from the 2009‐2011 annual reports, CSR‐type reports and homepages of 24 Danish large‐cap companies. Findings - Philosophically, it is shown that biodiversity preservation and reporting is an ethical issue, even on the assumption that biodiversity does not possess intrinsic value. Empirically, it is shown that Danish companies score poorly overall, both quantitatively and qualitatively, with regards to reporting on biodiversity. Research limitations/implications - Even though the importance of biodiversity can be justified on different assumptions, biodiversity reporting is under‐researched offering potential for future research on a globally important issue. Practical implications - Justifying the preservation of biodiversity from an instrumental viewpoint might convince accounting audiences that are sceptical of normative ethical argumentation based on intrinsic value. The relative lack of biodiversity reporting in Denmark shows the need for the State and accounting standard setters to address this issue together with business and other stakeholders. Originality/value - Few studies theorize on why there is a need for environmental reporting. Those that do are based on non‐instrumental considerations. This paper gives philosophical arguments for biodiversity reporting normally outside the scope of accounting. It emphasizes how even those who deny that biodiversity has intrinsic value are morally obliged to account for biodiversity. The argument also provides novel reasons for why thinking about discount rates should be governed by pure preference considerations. Empirically, this is only the second paper examining biodiversity reporting and the first about the Danish context.

Suggested Citation

  • Dennis van Liempd & Jacob Busch, 2013. "Biodiversity reporting in Denmark," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 26(5), pages 833-872, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:aaajpp:v:26:y:2013:i:5:p:833-872
    DOI: 10.1108/AAAJ:02-2013-1232
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Cuckston, Thomas, 2018. "Creating financial value for tropical forests by disentangling people from nature," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 219-234.
    2. David Talbot & Olivier Boiral, 2021. "Public organizations and biodiversity disclosure: Saving face to meet a legal obligation?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 2571-2586, July.
    3. Lee Roberts & Monomita Nandy & Abeer Hassan & Suman Lodh & Ahmed A. Elamer, 2022. "Corporate Accountability Towards Species Extinction Protection: Insights from Ecologically Forward-Thinking Companies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(3), pages 571-595, July.
    4. Torelli, Riccardo & Balluchi, Federica, 2020. "Business Legitimacy, Agricultural Biodiversity and Environmental Ethics: Insights from Sustainable Bakeries," OSF Preprints sxzjf, Center for Open Science.
    5. Lähtinen, Katja & Guan, Yucong & Li, Ning & Toppinen, Anne, 2016. "Biodiversity and ecosystem services in supply chain management in the global forest industry," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(PA), pages 130-140.
    6. Lee Roberts & Abeer Hassan & Ahmed Elamer & Monomita Nandy, 2021. "Biodiversity and extinction accounting for sustainable development: A systematic literature review and future research directions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 705-720, January.
    7. Olivier Boiral & Iñaki Heras‐Saizarbitoria & Marie‐Christine Brotherton, 2019. "Improving corporate biodiversity management through employee involvement," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 688-698, July.
    8. Olivier Boiral, 2016. "Accounting for the Unaccountable: Biodiversity Reporting and Impression Management," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 135(4), pages 751-768, June.
    9. Olivier Boiral & Iñaki Heras‐Saizarbitoria & Marie‐Christine Brotherton, 2018. "Corporate Biodiversity Management through Certifiable Standards," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 389-402, March.
    10. Marco-Fondevila, Miguel & Álvarez-Etxeberría, Igor, 2023. "Trends in private sector engagement with biodiversity: EU listed companies' disclosure and indicators," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    11. Miseldra Gil-Marín & Alejandro Vega-Muñoz & Nicolás Contreras-Barraza & Guido Salazar-Sepúlveda & Sandra Vera-Ruiz & Analia Verónica Losada, 2022. "Sustainability Accounting Studies: A Metasynthesis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-15, August.
    12. Olivier Boiral & Iñaki Heras-Saizarbitoria, 2017. "Managing Biodiversity Through Stakeholder Involvement: Why, Who, and for What Initiatives?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 140(3), pages 403-421, February.
    13. Carmela Gulluscio & Pina Puntillo & Valerio Luciani & Donald Huisingh, 2020. "Climate Change Accounting and Reporting: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-31, July.
    14. Abeer Mohamed Hassan & Lee Roberts & Jill Atkins, 2020. "Exploring factors relating to extinction disclosures: What motivates companies to report on biodiversity and species protection?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 1419-1436, March.
    15. Irina Santiago-Brown & Andrew Metcalfe & Cate Jerram & Cassandra Collins, 2015. "Sustainability Assessment in Wine-Grape Growing in the New World: Economic, Environmental, and Social Indicators for Agricultural Businesses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-27, June.
    16. C. Feger & Laurent Mermet, 2021. "Advances in accounting for biodiversity and ecosystems: a typology focusing upon the environmental results imperative [Innovations comptables pour la biodiversité et les écosystèmes : une typologie," Post-Print hal-02549016, HAL.
    17. Jan Bebbington & Tom Cuckston & C. Feger, 2021. "Biodiversity," Post-Print hal-03746729, HAL.

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