Accounting and sustainable development : reflections and propositions
Abstract
This paper emerges from an invitation to reflect upon the achievements of social and environmental accounting as well as to identify the challenges that lie ahead as the field continues its engagement with the goal of sustainable development. Three perspectives are developed in pursuit of that aim, namely: exploring the nature of the issues and mode of academic inquiry that is ‘fit for purpose’ given the demands of sustainable development; considering if a de-centring of accounting and the embrace of more holistic versions of accountability would be productive for future scholarship; and an exploration of how we might conceptualise ‘engagement’ with practice in this context (and what is meant by practice and practitioner). Taken together, this paper seeks to provide points of provocation and encouragement to social and environmental accountants, critical accounting scholars and to those seeking to understand sustainable development scholarship and action.
Citation
Bebbington , J , Russell , S & Thomson , I 2017 , ' Accounting and sustainable development : reflections and propositions ' , Critical Perspectives on Accounting , vol. 48 , pp. 21-34 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa.2017.06.002
Publication
Critical Perspectives on Accounting
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1045-2354Type
Journal article
Rights
Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Ltd. This work is made available online in accordance with the publisher’s policies. This is the author created, accepted version manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa.2017.06.002
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