New development : the role of the accountancy profession in saving our planet

Abstract

This article looks at the legitimizing role of the accountancy profession as a standard-setter in the context of sustainability reporting. It demonstrates how accounting systems, particularly in the public sector, can be utilized to provide a tangible contribution towards the achievement of the UN’s sustainable development goals. However, the accountancy profession would need to be willing to move away from the standard financial report, focus on management accounting, and use prior work (for example, the GRI) as a foundation. It would also need to include professionals from other schools of thought.