IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i11p4943-d1666047.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainability Accounting and Reporting: An Ablative Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Climate Crisis via Conservative or Radical Reform Paradigms

Author

Listed:
  • Simon Huston

    (School of Economics, Finance and Accounting, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK)

Abstract

Despite the climate crisis, a significant barrier to sustainability is limitations to the current accounting and reporting system. These deficiencies, mean the global financial system continues to invest trillions of dollars annually in environmentally sub-optimal projects. To catalyze the economic transition away from fossil-fuel and plastic configurations to more sustainable ones, sustainability accounting and reporting (SAR) is imperative. However, theoretical contention, pragmatic concerns, and costs stoke strong resistance to SAR. The research used ablative thematic analysis to apply hermeneutic phenomenology. First, it scanned the backdrop to the SAR problem and identified a corpus of recent literature from key associated institutions. The initial interpretation of the texts disentangled SAR’s conflicting threads and generated three themes of ‘climate crisis’ and ‘conservative’ or more ‘radical’ SAR reform paradigms. Iteratively harnessing these thematic lenses, the investigation re-examined the SAR literature corpus. The textual ‘dialogue’ generated understanding of the fragmented SAR responses to the climate crisis. Accordingly, the research reformulated its first theme to ‘dystopic climate crisis fragmentation’ and refined the other themes to take account of materiality and the split between Anglo-Saxon (IFRS, SSAB) or global (UN) and continental European accounting institutions (EU, GRI). Conservatives retain a single materiality investor-focus and concede only incremental standard improvements. Radicals seek to implement double materiality with a broader spectrum of stakeholders in mind. Both approaches have theoretical as well as pragmatic advantages and disadvantages, so the SAR contention rumbles on. Whilst the standard-setting landscape is evolving, disagreements remain. Its roots of contention are philosophical and pragmatic. Philosophically, radicals strive to temper libertarian anarcho-capitalist proclivities and broaden firm responsibility. Pragmatically, social, or environmental externalities are problematic to assign or measure. Given vested interests in the destructive status quo, it would be naïve to expect a harmonious SAR Ithaca to emerge anytime soon. Yet the challenges impel an intensification of SAR dialogue and concrete actions. Rather than a scientifically nomothetic contribution, the paper provides a qualitative, artful interpretation of a complex, contentious but crucial field.

Suggested Citation

  • Simon Huston, 2025. "Sustainability Accounting and Reporting: An Ablative Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Climate Crisis via Conservative or Radical Reform Paradigms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-18, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:11:p:4943-:d:1666047
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/4943/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/4943/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. repec:eme:aaaj00:aaaj-05-2017-2929 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Jan Bebbington & Jeffrey Unerman, 2018. "Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 31(1), pages 2-24, January.
    3. Anne Marie Garvey & Laura Parte & Bridget McNally & José Antonio Gonzalo-Angulo, 2021. "True and Fair Override: Accounting Expert Opinions, Explanations from Behavioural Theories, and Discussions for Sustainability Accounting," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-23, February.
    4. Jerry L. Holechek & Hatim M. E. Geli & Mohammed N. Sawalhah & Raul Valdez, 2022. "A Global Assessment: Can Renewable Energy Replace Fossil Fuels by 2050?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-22, April.
    5. Sarah Birrell Ivory & Simon Bentley Brooks, 2018. "Managing Corporate Sustainability with a Paradoxical Lens: Lessons from Strategic Agility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 347-361, March.
    6. Sarah Birrell Ivory & Simon Bentley Brooks, 2018. "Erratum to: Managing Corporate Sustainability with a Paradoxical Lens: Lessons from Strategic Agility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 363-363, March.
    7. Stefano Poponi & Andrea Colantoni & Sirio R.S. Cividino & Enrico Maria Mosconi, 2019. "The Stakeholders’ Perspective within the B Corp Certification for a Circular Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-15, March.
    8. Veblen, Thorstein, 1919. "The Vested Interests and the Common Man," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, number veblen1919.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Henri Harapan Saragih & Muhammad Saifi & Nila Firdausi Nuzula & Saparila Worokinasih, 2024. "The Role of Corporate Agility in Advancing Sustainable Strategy: Examining the Influence of Shareholder Activism and Board Commitment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-18, December.
    2. Bouguerra, Abderaouf & Gölgeci, Ismail & Gligor, David M. & Tatoglu, Ekrem, 2021. "How do agile organizations contribute to environmental collaboration? Evidence from MNEs in Turkey," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(1).
    3. Jonathan Taglialatela & Kevin Pirazzi Maffiola & Roberto Barontini & Francesco Testa, 2023. "Board of Directors' characteristics and environmental SDGs adoption: an international study," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(5), pages 2490-2506, September.
    4. Tariq Javed & Fareyha Said & Dalilawati Zainal & Azlina Abdul Jalil, 2024. "Circular Economy Implementation Status of Selected ASEAN Countries," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(1), pages 21582440231, March.
    5. Sharma, Varun & Vijayaraghavan, T.A.S. & Raghu Ram, Tata L., 2023. "Resolving operational paradox of sustainable supply chain: A decision framework approach," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 87(PB).
    6. Aisma Linda Kiesnere & Rupert J. Baumgartner, 2019. "Sustainability Management in Practice: Organizational Change for Sustainability in Smaller Large-Sized Companies in Austria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-40, January.
    7. Jingchen Zhao, 2021. "Reimagining Corporate Social Responsibility in the Era of COVID-19: Embedding Resilience and Promoting Corporate Social Competence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-28, June.
    8. Ahammad, Mohammad Faisal & Basu, Shubhabrata & Munjal, Surender & Clegg, Jeremy & Shoham, Ofra Bazel, 2021. "Strategic agility, environmental uncertainties and international performance: The perspective of Indian firms," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(4).
    9. Jaakko Siltaloppi & Risto Rajala & Henri Hietala, 2021. "Integrating CSR with Business Strategy: A Tension Management Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 174(3), pages 507-527, December.
    10. Jane Marzouk & Raghda El Ebrashi, 2024. "The interplay among green absorptive capacity, green entrepreneurial, and learning orientations and their effect on triple bottom line performance," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(3), pages 1962-1976, March.
    11. Volkan Ezcan & Jack Steven Goulding, 2022. "Offsite Sustainability—Disentangling the Rhetoric through Informed Mindset Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-27, April.
    12. Jay Joseph & Helen Borland & Marc Orlitzky & Adam Lindgreen, 2020. "Seeing Versus Doing: How Businesses Manage Tensions in Pursuit of Sustainability," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 164(2), pages 349-370, June.
    13. Céline Louche & Timo Busch & Patricia Crifo & Alfred Marcus, 2019. "Financial Markets and the Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy: Challenging the Dominant Logics," Post-Print hal-02016756, HAL.
    14. Jay Joseph & Marc Orlitzky & Bruce Gurd & Helen Borland & Adam Lindgreen, 2019. "Can business‐oriented managers be effective leaders for corporate sustainability? A study of integrative and instrumental logics," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 339-352, February.
    15. Shams, Riad & Vrontis, Demetris & Belyaeva, Zhanna & Ferraris, Alberto & Czinkota, Michael R., 2021. "Strategic agility in international business: A conceptual framework for “agile” multinationals," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(1).
    16. Ariana Chang & Tian-Shyug Lee & Hsiu-Mei Lee & Jing Wang, 2023. "The Influence of Responsible Leadership on Strategic Agility: Cases from the Taiwan Hospitality Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-15, February.
    17. Emilio Abad-Segura & Francisco Joaquín Cortés-García & Luis J. Belmonte-Ureña, 2019. "The Sustainable Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility: A Global Analysis and Future Trends," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-24, September.
    18. Pereira, Vijay & Budhwar, Pawan & Temouri, Yama & Malik, Ashish & Tarba, Shlomo, 2021. "Investigating Investments in agility strategies in overcoming the global financial crisis - The case of Indian IT/BPO offshoring firms," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(1).
    19. David Eshun Yawson & Fred A. Yamoah, 2022. "Review of Strategic Agility: A Holistic Framework for Fresh Produce Supply Chain Disruptions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-15, November.
    20. Abas Rawashdeh & Ayman Bahjat Abdallah & Moayyad Alfawaeer & Mohammad Al Dweiri & Feras Al-Jaghbeer, 2024. "The Impact of Strategic Agility on Environmental Sustainability: The Mediating Role of Digital Transformation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-17, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:11:p:4943-:d:1666047. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.