ESG INFORMATION PRACTICES AS A DRIVER OF VALUE CREATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35774/jee2024.02.225Keywords:
ESG, sustainability; informational practices; reporting; accounting.Abstract
Achieving sustainability goals is mainly driven by information practices that support decision-making. The study dwells on recommendations in the field of design and methodology for information support of sustainability. It was motivated by a diversity and low convergence of existing information practices; the objective is to define ways of their transformation for ESG value creation and sustainability governance. The article aims to give a holistic view of ESG information practices and suggest theoretical insight and practical ways to transform them, primarily accounting, and ESG-reporting, to create a transparent information environment for sustainability. The study is designed as a qualitative analysis with summarising, categorizing, and interpreting open access sources data, such as unidirectional studies, non-financial reporting and ESG-rankings databases, program documents, frameworks and standards for responsible reporting, professional audit analytics, and others. Thematical, logical, and comparative analysis was mostly used for data processing. The study’s theoretical framework is based on social science theories, particularly the Interpretative paradigm. There were assessed quality of the current information field and proposed ways to upgrade an up-to-date system of informational practices by the requirements of a transparent ESG environment for the value creation. New approaches to ESG accounting were suggested, and an integrated balance model of total capitals engaged in ESG value creation was developed. Analysis of a corporate organizational reporting variety allows us to define two key models for better understanding and further convergence. Recommendations for the transformation of accounting, nonfinancial reporting, streamlining, and methodological development of related practices can be used in programmatic, advisory, and regulatory documents that structure the information field of sustainable development.
JEL: O10; M40; M48; C81; O44.
References
Ahmad, H., Yaqub, M., Lee, S. (2023) Environmental-, social-, and governancerelated factors for business investment and sustainability: a scientometric review of global trends. Environment, development and Sustainability, (26), 2965–2987 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-02921-x
Arjalies, D.-L., Mundy, J. (2013). The use of management control systems to manage CSR strategy: A levers of control perspective. Management Accounting Research, 24(4), 284–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2013.06.003
Arvidsson, S., Dumay, J. (2022). Corporate ESG reporting quantity, quality, and performance: Where to now for environmental policy and practice? Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(3), p. 1091, https://doi.org/ 10.1002/bse.2937
Babič, S., Biloslavo, R., Kodric, B. (2023). Relationship Between Environmental Reports and Environmental Performance: A Case of the Processing Industry in the Republic of Slovenia. Organizacija, 56, 309 – 323. https://doi.org/10.2478/orga-2023-0021
Bankrate, (2023). ESG investing statistics. URL: https://www.bankrate.com/ investing/esg-investing-statistics/
Bebbington, J., Gray, R., Hibbitt, C., Kirk, E. (2001). Full cost accounting: an agenda for action. (ACCA research report; No. 73). Certified Accountants Educational Trust. URL: https://dundee-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/ permalink/f/3k4lla/44DUN_ALMA_DS2146118060002991
Bebbington, J.; Larrinaga, C. (2014). Accounting and sustainable development: An exploration. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 39(6), 395–413. https://doi.org/:10.1016/j.aos.2014.01.003
Bebbington, J., Russell, S., Thomson, I. (2017). Accounting and sustainable development: Reflections and propositions. Crit. Perspect. Account., 48, 21– 34. URL: https://doi.org/:10.1016/j.cpa.2017.06.002
Bebbington, J., Unerman, J., O’Dwyer, B. (Eds.). (2014). Sustainability accounting and accountability (2nd ed.) Abingdon: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/ 9781315848419
Bloomberg (2023). ESG assets may hit $53 trillion by 2025, a third of global AUM. [Accessed 20.12.2023]. URL: https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/ blog/esg-assets-may-hit-53-trillion-by-2025-a-third-of-global-aum/
Bouten, L., Hoozee, S. (2013). On the interplay between environmental reporting and management accounting. Management Accounting Research, 24(4), 333–348 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2013.06.005
Buhr, N. (2007). Histories and rationales for sustainability reporting. In J. Unerman, J. Bebbington, & B. O’Dwyer (Eds.), Sustainability accounting and accountability (pp. 57–69). Abingdon: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/ 9780203815281
Capital Group, (2023). Shining a light on ESG attitudes and adoption. URL: https://www.capitalgroup.com/institutional/investments/esg/perspectives/es g-global-study.html
Chan, K. M., Boyd, D. R, Gould, R. K, et al. (2020). Levers and Leverage Points for Pathways to Sustainability. People and Nature, (2), 693-717. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10124
Chetanraj, D.B., Kumar, J.P.S. (2023). Forty-Seven Years of Environmental Management Accounting Research: A Bibliometric Analysis. Journal of Environmental Management & Tourism, 14(5), pp. 2207-2241 https://doi.org/ :10.14505/jemt.v14.5(69).05
Chopra, S.S.; Senadheera, S.S.; Dissanayake, P.D.; Withana, P.A.; Chib, R.; Rhee, J.H.; Ok, Y.S. (2024). Navigating the Challenges of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Reporting: The Path to Broader Sustainable Development. Sustainability, 16 (2), 606. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020606
Contrafatto, M., Burns, J. (2013). Social and environmental accounting, organizational change and management accounting: A processual view. Management Accounting Research, 24(4), 349–366 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2013.10.004
Dasanayaka, C.H., Murphy, D.F., Nagirikandalage, P., & Abeykoon, C. (2021). The application of management accounting practices towards the sustainable development of family businesses: A critical review. Cleaner Environmental Systems. https://doi.org/:10.1016/j.cesys.2021.100064
Deegan, C. (2014). An overview of legitimacy theory as applied within the social and environmental accounting literature. In J. Bebbington, J. Unerman, & B. O’Dwyer (Eds.), Sustainability accounting and accountability (2nd ed., pp. 248– 272). Abingdon: Routledge https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315848419
Deloitte. Globally Consistent ESG Reporting. (2023). URL: https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/about/people/social-responsibility/globallyconsistent-esg-reporting.html
Dewi, A., Widyawati, L., (2023). The Relationship between Sustainability Performance and Financial Performance with External Assurance as the Moderating Variable in Indonesian Listed Companies. IOP Conference Series. Earth and Environmental Science, 1199(1), 012-025. https://doi.org/ :10.1088/1755-1315/1199/1/012025
Esty, D. C., Cort T. (2020). Values at Work: Sustainable Investing and ESG Reporting. Springer International Publishing: Palgrave Macmillan https://doi.org/:10.1007/978-3-030-55613-6
Ernst & Young (2022). How can corporate reporting bridge the ESG trust gap? [Accessed: 10.11.2023]. Available from Internet: https://assets.ey.com/ content/dam/ey-sites/ey-com/en_gl/topics/assurance/assurance-pdfs/eyglobal-reporting-survey-report-2022.pdf
Fadhel, A., Panella, K., Rouen, E. Serafeim, G. (2021). Accounting for Employment Impact at Scale/ Harvard Business School Accounting & Management Unit Working Paper No. 22-018. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3925248
Fleaca, B.; Fleaca, E.; Corocaescu, M. (2023). Sustainability information – analysis of current trends in sustainability monitoring & reporting. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 10 (3), 274-287. https://doi.org/10.9770/ jesi.2023.10.3(18)
Freiberg, D., Panella, K. Serafeim, G., Zochowski, R. (2021). Accounting for Organizational Employment Impact. Harvard Business School Accounting & Management Unit Working Paper No. 21-050. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ ssrn.3707740
Governance and Accountability Institute (2022). New G&A Institute Research Shows Sustainability Reporting by Largest U.S. Public Companies Reached All-Time Highs in 2021. URL: https://www.globenewswire.com/ en/news-release/2022/11/16/2557344/0/en/New-G-A-Institute-ResearchShows-Sustainability-Reporting-by-Largest-U-S-Public-Companies-ReachedAll-Time-Highs-in-2021.html
Gray, R. (2010). Is accounting for sustainability accounting for sustainability and how would we know? An exploration of narratives of organizations and the planet. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 35(1), 47–62. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.aos.2009.04.006
Gray, R. (2010). Is accounting for sustainability accounting for sustainability...and how would we know? An exploration of narratives of organizations and the planet. Accounting, Organ. Soc. 35(1), 47–62. https://doi.org/ :10.1016/j.aos.2009.04.006
Gray, R., Bebbington, J., & Gray, S. (2010). Social and environmental accounting (Vols. I–IV). London: Sage. ISBN: 9781848601697
Gray, R. Laughlin, R. (2012), «It was 20 years ago today: Sgt Pepper, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, green accounting, and the Blue Meanies», Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal. 25(2), 228-255. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513571211198755
Gray, R., Walters, D., Bebbington, J., Thompson, I. (1995). The greening of enterprise: An exploration of the (NON) role of environmental accounting and environmental accountants in organizational change. Crit. Perspect. Account., vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 211–239. https://doi.org/:10.1006/cpac.1995.1021
Guenther, E., Endrikat J., and Guenther, T. W. (2016). Environmental management control systems: a conceptualization and a review of the empirical evidence. J. Clean. Prod. 136: 147–171. https://doi.org/:10.1016/ j.jclepro. 2016.02.043
Haider, M.B., Kimitaka, N. (2020). Views of corporate managers on assurance of sustainability reporting: evidence from Japan. International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, 17(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/:10.1057/s41310-019- 00070-0
Halper J., Grieve D., Shriver, T., Cadwalader (2022). ESG Ratings: A Call for Greater Transparency and Precision. URL: https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/ 2022/11/10/esg-ratings-a-call-for-greater-transparency-and-precision/
Hopwood, A. G., Unerman, J., & Fries, J. (Eds.). (2010). Accounting for sustainability: Practical insights. London: Earthscan https://doi.org/10.4324/ 9781849776332
IFRS Foundation (2022). The growing momentum for integrated reporting: Part 1. URL: https://www.integratedreporting.org/news/the-growing-momentum-forintegrated-reporting-part-1/
Impact Economy Foundation (2022). Impact-Weighted Accounts Framework. URL: https://impacteconomyfoundation.org/impactweightedaccountsframework/ impact-weighted-accounts-framework-document/
In, S. Y.; Rook, D., Monk, A. (2019). Integrating Alternative Data (Also Known as ESG Data) in Investment Decision Making. Global Economic Review, 48(3), 237–260. https://doi.org/:10.1080/1226508X.2019.1643059
IFRS Foundation (2021). Integrated Reporting Framework. URL: https://integratedreporting.ifrs.org/international-framework-downloads/
International Federation of Accountants (2023). The State of Play: Sustainability Disclosure & Assurance 2019-2021, Trends & Analysis. URL: https://www.ifac.org/knowledge-gateway/contributing-global-economy/ publications/state-play-sustainability-disclosure-assurance-2019-2021- trends-analysis
International Foundation for Valuing Impacts (2024). General Methodology 1: Conceptual Framework for Impact Accounting. URL: https://ifvi.org/research/ methodology-development/general-methodology-1/
Jovanovic, D., & Jovanovic, N. (2022). Corporate Governance Challenges in Relation to the ESG Reporting. InterEULawEast: Journal For the International and European Law, Economics and Market Integrations. 9(2), 269-287. https://doi.org/10.22598/iele.2022.9.2.9
Kareiva, P. M., McNally, B.W., McCormick, S., Miller, T. & Ruckelshaus, M. (2015). Improving global environmental management with standard corporate reporting. Perspective. Social Science. Vol. 112 (24), 7375-7382 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1408120111
Keller, D. Panella, K. Serafeim, G. (2022). A Conceptualization of Sub-Living Wages: Liabilities, Leverage, and Risk. Harvard Business School Accounting & Management Unit Working Paper No. 22-076. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.2139/ssrn.4137565
KPMG (2021). CEO Outlook 2021: Optimism is back in the boardroom. URL: https://kpmg.com/xx/en/home/insights/2021/08/kpmg-2021-ceo-outlook.html
Luque-Vílchez, M., Gómez-Limón, J.A., Guerrero-Baena, M.D., Rodríguez-Gutiérrez, P. (2023) Deconstructing corporate environmental, social, and governance performance: heterogeneous stakeholder preferences in the food industry. Sustainable Development, 31 (3), 1845-1860 https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2488
Maas, K., Schaltegger, S., Crutzen, N. (2016). Integrating corporate sustainability assessment, management accounting, control, and reporting. Journal of Cleaner Production, (136A), 237-248 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.05.008
Milne, M. J., Gray, R. (2013). W(h)ither Ecology? The triple bottom line, the global reporting initiative, and corporate sustainability reporting. Journal of Busi ness Ethics, 118, 13-29. URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/ s10551-012-1543-8
Moore, D. (2013). Sustainability, institutionalization and the duality of structure: The role of context and strategic factors. Management Accounting Research, 24(4), 367–387 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2013.06.006
Mordor Intelligence. ESG Rating Services Market Size. (2024). URL: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/esg-rating-servicesmarket/market-size
Odintsova, T. (2024). Accounting Transformation for ESG Reporting in The Sustainability Agenda. SCIREA Journal of Economics. 9 (1), 1-21. 10.54647/ economics790433
Official Journal of the European Union (2023). Directive 2013/34/EU of the European Parliament and the Council as regards sustainability reporting standards of 31 July 2023. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/ TXT/?uri=CELEX:32023R2772
Pasko, O., Chen, F., Oriekhova, A., Brychko, A. & Shalyhina, I. (2021). Mapping the Literature on Sustainability Reporting: A Bibliometric Analysis Grounded in Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection. European Journal of Sustainable Development, 10(1), 303-322. https://doi.org/10.14207/ ejsd.2021.v10n1p303
Peng, C. W., & Yang, M. L. (2014). The effect of corporate social performance on financial performance: The moderating effect of ownership concentration. Journal of Business Ethics, 123, 171-182 https://doi.org/:10.1007/s10551- 013-1809-9
PwC: «Only 29% of investors say current company reporting adequately describes ESG’s impact on business performance». (2021). URL: https://www.pwc.com/ gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2021/pwc-esg-investor-survey-2021-fullreport.html
Radhouane, I., Nekhili, M., Nagati, H. and Paché, G. (2020). Is voluntary external assurance relevant for the valuation of environmental reporting by firms in environmentally sensitive industries? Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 11(1), 65-98. https://doi.org/:10.1108/SAMPJ-06- 2018-0158
Rawhouser, H., Cummings, M., Newbert, S. L. (2019). Social Impact Measurement: Current Approaches and Future Directions for Social Entrepreneurship Research. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 43(1), 82-115. https://doi.org/10.1177/1042258717727718
Rodrigue, M., Magnan, M., & Boulianne, E. (2013). Stakeholders’ influence on environmental strategy and performance indicators: A managerial perspec tive. Management Accounting Research, 24(4), 301–316. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.mar.2013.06.004
Salazar J. de J., Husted B. W., Biehl M. (2012) Thoughts on the evaluation of corporate social performance through projects. Journal of Business Ethics 105(2): 175–186. https://doi.org/:10.1007/S10551-011-0957-Z
Sandberg, H., Alnoor, A., Tiberius, V. (2022) Environmental, social, and governance ratings and financial performance: evidence from the European food industry. Business Strategy and the Environment, 32 (4), 2471–2489. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3259
Schaltegger, S., Gibassier, D., Zvedov, D. (2013) Is Environmental Management Accounting a Discipline? A Bibliometric Literature Review. Meditari Accountancy Research, 21(1), 4-31, URL:: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2294992
Serafeim, G. Trinh, K. (2020). A Framework for Product Impact-Weighted Accounts. Harvard Business School Accounting & Management Unit Working Paper No. 20-076. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3532472
de Souza Barbosa, A., da Silva, M.C.B.C., da Silva, L.B. et al. (2023). Integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria: their impacts on corporate sustainability performance. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. (10) 410. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01919-0
Targeted consultation on the functioning of the ESG ratings market in the European Union and on the consideration of ESG factors in credit ratings. Summary report. (2022). URL: https://finance.ec.europa.eu/regulation-andsupervision/consultations/finance-2022-esg-ratings_en
Thomson, I. (2014). Mapping the terrain of sustainability and accounting for sustainability. In J. Bebbington, J. Unerman, & B. O’dwyer (Eds.), Sustainability accounting and accountability (2nd ed., pp. 15–29). Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-69558-9, 978-0-415-69557-2
Unerman, J., Chapman, Ch. (2014). Academic contributions to enhancing accounting for sustainable development. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 39(6), 385–394. https://doi.org/:10.1016/j.aos.2014.07.003
Rawhouser, H., Cummings, M., & Newbert, S. L. (2019). Social Impact Measurement: Current Approaches and Future Directions for Social Entrepreneurship Research. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 43(1), 82-115. https://doi.org/10.1177/1042258717727718
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).