Accountability and Sustainability

Description

Sustainability, both in its ecological and social dimensions, has now become a challenge that concerns all types of organisations across the world. The media coverage has raised awareness among the general public on different aspects of sustainability and new regulations are emerging on this issue. Thus, a well-structured accountability system capable of managing and disclosing sustainability impact of organisational practices is an essential element for the successful sustainable organisation. Disclosure is an important part of the accountability process. Social and environmental accounting explores how organisations can disclose information to various stakeholders pertaining to issues such as: socially responsible investments, human rights, climate change and other environmental matters. Reporting and auditing of information on sustainability issues are a relatively new practice in the accounting field but rapidly growing in relevance. Managers will be required to deal with these issues on a frequent basis. Thus, this course will build up strong employability skills. This course introduces students to accountability issues related to management and disclosure of corporate sustainability practices, processes and their financial and non-financial impacts. The course will include an overview of accounting for sustainability and a critical analysis of how corporations would (and should) deal with social and environmental issues. This course also involves engagement with relevant theoretical frameworks which have been popular in analysing social and environmental accounting practices. Students will be expected to provide theoretically informed critical analyses on corporate accountability issues and practices, including sustainability disclosures practices.