How environmental management accounting drives performance: a meta-analysis considering national EMA maturity

Purpose - This study investigates the impact of environmental management accounting (EMA) on organizational performance, with a focus on how national EMA maturity, performance type and firm size influence this relationship. The aim is to explore how EMA can support sustainability goals while enhancing performance across diverse contexts. Design/methodology/approach - A comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted, incorporating 36 studies with a combined total of 13,010 observations. Data from the Future of Growth Report (2024) by the World Economic Forum were used to create an innovative EMA index that classifies countries based on their level of EMA adoption. It explores how the EMA–performance relationship varies across national, organizational and performance-specific factors. Findings - The meta-analysis confirms EMA’s positive impact on performance, moderated by national EMA maturity, performance type and firm size. High-maturity contexts and large firms see more significant benefits, with environmental performance showing the strongest link. These insights underscore EMA’s role in driving performance while highlighting the need for context-specific strategies, especially in less developed EMA environments or for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Practical implications - Organizations in high EMA maturity countries or larger firms should adopt EMA to boost environmental performance, while policymakers should improve EMA frameworks in less developed regions and support SMEs with resources. Additionally, companies should prioritize EMA to enhance sustainability, given its strong impact on environmental outcomes. Originality/value - This study enriches EMA literature by analyzing how national context, firm size and performance type affect the EMA–performance link, offering practical insights for aligning sustainability and performance goals for researchers, practitioners and policymakers.