List of figures |
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xix | |
List of tables |
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xxi | |
Acknowledgements |
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xxiii | |
About the authors |
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xxv | |
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1 Introduction to sustainability accounting and accountability |
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1 | (8) |
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Introduction to the content and structure of the book |
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3 | (3) |
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6 | (1) |
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6 | (3) |
Part I Setting the context |
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9 | (46) |
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2 Background and global context |
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11 | (23) |
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2.1 Sustainability and sustainable development |
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12 | (7) |
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12 | (1) |
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2.1.2 The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals |
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12 | (2) |
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14 | (1) |
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15 | (2) |
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17 | (2) |
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2.2 Sustainability and the economy |
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19 | (1) |
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19 | (1) |
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20 | (1) |
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2.3 Sustainability and organisations |
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20 | (4) |
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2.3.1 Organisations and their context |
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21 | (1) |
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2.3.2 Organisational impacts and dependencies |
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21 | (1) |
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2.3.3 Linear and circular economy |
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22 | (1) |
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2.3.4 The role of organisations in shaping the context |
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23 | (1) |
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2.4 Sustainability accounting and accountability |
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24 | (3) |
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2.4.1 Problems with conventional accounting |
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24 | (1) |
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2.4.2 The role of accounting in transitioning towards sustainability |
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24 | (1) |
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2.4.3 Sustainability accounting and accountability practices |
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25 | (1) |
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2.4.4 The accounting profession |
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26 | (1) |
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2.5 Accounting for sustainability in different organisational settings |
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27 | (4) |
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2.5.1 Private sector organisations |
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27 | (1) |
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27 | (1) |
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2.5.1.2 Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) |
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27 | (1) |
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2.5.1.3 Partnerships and co-operatives |
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28 | (1) |
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2.5.1.4 Other emerging for-profit organisational forms |
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28 | (1) |
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2.5.2 Public sector organisations |
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28 | (1) |
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29 | (2) |
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2.5.3.1 Non-government organisations |
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30 | (1) |
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2.5.4 Summary of different organisational settings |
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31 | (1) |
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31 | (3) |
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3 Accountability, stakeholders, materiality and externalities: Examining key concepts |
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34 | (21) |
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34 | (6) |
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3.1.1 What is accountability? |
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35 | (1) |
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3.1.2 Legal and moral duty |
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36 | (1) |
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3.1.3 Social licence to operate and legitimacy |
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37 | (1) |
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3.1.4 Accountability and the social licence to operate |
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38 | (1) |
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3.1.5 The broadening of accountability |
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39 | (1) |
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3.1.6 Who is an organisation accountable to? |
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39 | (1) |
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40 | (6) |
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3.2.1 Stakeholder mapping: Who are an organisation's stakeholders? |
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40 | (1) |
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3.2.2 Stakeholder salience: Power, legitimacy and urgency |
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41 | (2) |
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3.2.3 Stakeholder engagement and stakeholder management |
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43 | (1) |
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3.2.4 Stakeholder and accountability in different types of organisations |
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44 | (2) |
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3.2.5 Accountability to stakeholders: But for which issues? |
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46 | (1) |
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46 | (3) |
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3.3.1 Material impacts and dependencies |
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47 | (1) |
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3.3.2 Materiality is subjective |
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47 | (1) |
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3.3.3 Materiality and sustainability reporting |
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48 | (1) |
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49 | (3) |
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3.4.1 Externalities and their relevance to sustainability accounting and accountability |
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50 | (1) |
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3.4.2 Accounting for externalities |
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50 | (1) |
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3.4.3 Materiality and externalities |
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51 | (1) |
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52 | (3) |
Part II Accounting for sustainability |
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55 | (110) |
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4 Sustainability management accounting and control |
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57 | (26) |
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4.1 Introduction to management accounting and control |
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58 | (1) |
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4.2 Management accounting and control and sustainability |
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58 | (3) |
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4.2.1 Defining sustainability management accounting and control |
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59 | (1) |
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4.2.2 Diversity of sustainability management accounting and control practices |
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59 | (1) |
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4.2.3 Inherent flexibility in sustainability management accounting and control practices |
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60 | (1) |
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4.2.4 Defining sustainability management accounting and control summary |
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60 | (1) |
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4.3 Some sustainability management accounting tools and practices |
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61 | (7) |
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4.3.1 Material flow cost accounting |
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61 | (1) |
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4.3.2 Life-cycle assessment |
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62 | (1) |
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4.3.3 Social return on investment |
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63 | (2) |
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4.3.4 Sustainable investment appraisal |
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65 | (1) |
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4.3.5 Key performance indicators (KPIs) |
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66 | (1) |
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67 | (1) |
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4.3.7 Summary of tools and practices |
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68 | (1) |
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4.4 Sustainability management accounting and control: Key considerations |
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68 | (8) |
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4.4.1 The level of analysis: What is the entity being measured? |
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69 | (1) |
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4.4.2 The scope of analysis: What are the boundaries? |
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70 | (1) |
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4.4.3 Materiality: What issues should be assessed and focused on? |
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71 | (1) |
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4.4.4 The role of externalities |
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72 | (1) |
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4.4.5 Valuation: Which metrics are being used, how and why? |
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73 | (2) |
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4.4.5.1 Qualitative and quantitative information |
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73 | (1) |
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4.4.5.2 Relative vs absolute numbers |
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73 | (1) |
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4.4.5.3 Monetary vs physical information |
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74 | (1) |
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4.4.6 Timeframe: What is a useful timeframe? |
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75 | (1) |
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4.4.7 Summary of key considerations |
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76 | (1) |
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4.5 Challenges and future developments |
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76 | (4) |
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4.5.1 Ensuring sustainability management accounting is core not peripheral |
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76 | (1) |
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4.5.2 Ensuring the relevance of indicators used |
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77 | (1) |
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4.5.3 Understanding why organisations do (not) implement sustainability management accounting and control |
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77 | (2) |
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4.5.4 The role of the accounting profession |
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79 | (1) |
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80 | (3) |
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5 Sustainability reporting: History, frameworks and regulation |
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83 | (20) |
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5.1 Introduction to the practice of sustainability reporting |
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84 | (2) |
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5.1.1 Different names and forms of sustainability reporting |
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84 | (1) |
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5.1.2 The purpose of sustainability reporting |
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85 | (1) |
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5.1.3 The focus of this chapter |
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86 | (1) |
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5.2 A history of sustainability reporting |
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86 | (4) |
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5.2.1 Early pioneering examples |
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87 | (1) |
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5.2.2 Environmental reporting and reporting initiatives |
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87 | (1) |
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5.2.3 The Global Reporting Initiative and the broadening of reporting |
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88 | (1) |
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5.2.4 Reporting becomes mainstream |
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88 | (1) |
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5.2.5 The continuous evolvement of reporting |
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88 | (2) |
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5.3 Characteristics of sustainability reporting |
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90 | (2) |
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5.4 Sustainability reporting standards and frameworks |
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92 | (6) |
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5.4.1 The Global Reporting Initiative |
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92 | (2) |
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5.4.2 Integrated reporting |
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94 | (1) |
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5.4.3 Sustainability Accounting Standards Board |
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94 | (2) |
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5.4.4 The CDP and other frameworks |
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96 | (1) |
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96 | (1) |
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5.4.4.2 The Taskforce for Climate-Related Financial Disclosure |
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96 | (1) |
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5.4.4.3 SDGs and sustainability reporting |
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97 | (1) |
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5.4.5 Summary of reporting standards and frameworks |
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97 | (1) |
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5.5 Regulating sustainability reporting: An ongoing debate |
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98 | (2) |
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5.5.1 Increasing regulatory initiatives |
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98 | (1) |
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5.5.2 Should sustainability reporting be regulated - and how? |
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99 | (1) |
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100 | (3) |
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6 The sustainability reporting process |
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103 | (21) |
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6.1 Introducing the hierarchical staged process model |
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104 | (2) |
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6.1.1 Introducing strategic and holistic accountability |
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104 | (2) |
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6.2 Why does the organisation report? |
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106 | (4) |
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6.3 To whom is the reported information directed? |
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110 | (3) |
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6.3.1 Determining what stakeholders are interested in |
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111 | (2) |
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6.4 What information is reported on? |
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113 | (3) |
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6.4.1 Deciding report content: Materiality and stakeholder engagement |
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113 | (1) |
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6.4.2 Materiality assessment |
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114 | (1) |
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6.4.3 What level of detail is required? |
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115 | (1) |
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6.5 In what form and format is the information communicated? |
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116 | (1) |
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6.6 Sustainability assurance |
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117 | (3) |
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6.6.1 Sustainability assurance and financial auditing practices |
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117 | (1) |
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6.6.2 Frameworks for sustainability assurance |
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118 | (1) |
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6.6.3 Sustainability assurance issues and challenges |
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119 | (1) |
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6.7 The role of sustainability reporting and its limits |
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120 | (1) |
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121 | (3) |
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7 ESG investments and risk management |
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124 | (23) |
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7.1 Introduction to financial markets and sustainability considerations |
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125 | (2) |
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7.1.1 Financial markets, risk and return: Bringing sustainability into the mix |
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125 | (2) |
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7.2 Financial markets and ESG |
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127 | (4) |
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7.2.1 Types of ESG investing |
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129 | (2) |
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7.3 An organisational perspective: Risk, future uncertainty and sustainability |
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131 | (6) |
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7.3.1 Identifying risks related to sustainability |
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131 | (1) |
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7.3.2 Illustrating increased uncertainty: Climate change |
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132 | (2) |
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134 | (1) |
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7.3.4 Decision-making and communication |
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135 | (2) |
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7.4 How sustainability features in financial markets |
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137 | (2) |
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7.5 The role of ESG-scores, ratings and ranking lists |
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139 | (3) |
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7.6 Financial markets, ESG, accounting and accountability |
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142 | (2) |
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7.6.1 ESG and financial performance |
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142 | (1) |
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7.6.2 Investor engagement |
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143 | (1) |
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144 | (3) |
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147 | (18) |
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8.1 A brief note on terminology and focus |
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148 | (1) |
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8.2 External accounting practices and their emergence |
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148 | (2) |
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8.2.1 Early examples and development |
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149 | (1) |
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8.3 Motivations and rationales to produce external accounts |
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150 | (4) |
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8.4 Forms of external accounting |
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154 | (2) |
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8.5 Producers and audiences of external accounts |
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156 | (5) |
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8.5.1 Producers of external accounts |
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157 | (2) |
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159 | (2) |
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8.6 Some limits and the potential of external accounting practices |
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161 | (2) |
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8.6.1 Some critiques of external accounting practices |
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161 | (1) |
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8.6.2 How external accounting challenges conventional views of accounting |
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162 | (1) |
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163 | (2) |
Part III Issues in accounting for sustainability |
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165 | (118) |
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167 | (25) |
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9.1 Climate change: An issue of critical importance |
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168 | (3) |
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9.1.1 Climate change: A brief introduction |
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168 | (1) |
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9.1.2 Climate change: The consequences |
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169 | (1) |
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9.1.3 A note on terminology |
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170 | (1) |
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9.2 What has climate change got to do with organisations and accounting? |
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171 | (5) |
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9.2.1 Regulation, co-ordination and collaboration |
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171 | (2) |
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9.2.2 Impacts and dependencies |
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173 | (1) |
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9.2.3 Direct and indirect emissions: The three scopes of carbon accounting |
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174 | (2) |
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9.3 Carbon accounting and accountability practices |
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176 | (9) |
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9.3.1 Carbon financial accounting |
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177 | (3) |
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9.3.1.1 Emissions trading schemes |
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177 | (1) |
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9.3.1.2 Climate change, valuation of assets and consideration of risks |
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178 | (2) |
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9.3.2 Climate focused management accounting and control |
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180 | (3) |
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9.3.2.1 The role of assumptions in carbon accounting and decision-making |
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181 | (1) |
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9.3.2.2 Internal carbon pricing to assist organisational decision-making |
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182 | (1) |
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9.3.3 Carbon and climate disclosure and reporting |
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183 | (2) |
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9.3.3.1 Carbon self-reporting by organisations |
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183 | (1) |
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9.3.3.2 Disclosures to CDP |
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184 | (1) |
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9.4 Accounting and the climate emergency: Some key issues requiring further consideration |
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185 | (5) |
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9.4.1 Discussing carbon emissions in relative and absolute terms |
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185 | (1) |
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9.4.2 Implications of commensuration and marketisation |
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186 | (1) |
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187 | (2) |
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9.4.4 Consumers, carbon footprints and product labels |
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189 | (1) |
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190 | (2) |
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192 | (22) |
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10.1 Water as an issue of critical importance |
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193 | (4) |
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10.1.1 Sustainable water management |
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194 | (1) |
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10.1.2 The importance of context |
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195 | (1) |
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10.1.3 Water is a complex and multifaceted issue |
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196 | (1) |
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10.2 What has water got to do with organisations and accounting? |
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197 | (3) |
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10.2.1 Impacts and dependencies |
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198 | (1) |
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198 | (1) |
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10.2.3 Implications water has for accounting and accountability |
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199 | (1) |
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10.3 Key institutions and frameworks relating to water |
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200 | (2) |
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10.3.1 The United Nations (UN) |
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200 | (1) |
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10.3.2 Water regulation and governance |
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200 | (1) |
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10.3.3 Other water initiatives |
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201 | (1) |
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10.4 Water accounting and reporting practices |
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202 | (4) |
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10.4.1 Water measurement and management accounting practices |
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202 | (2) |
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10.4.1.1 Water footprinting |
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203 | (1) |
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204 | (1) |
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10.4.2.1 Frameworks for corporate water reporting |
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204 | (1) |
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10.4.3 Summary of water accounting practices |
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205 | (1) |
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10.5 Water accounting and accountability: Some issues going forward |
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206 | (6) |
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10.5.1 General issues concerning water accounting in organisations |
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207 | (1) |
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10.5.2 Volumetric water accounting |
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208 | (1) |
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10.5.3 Accounting and the pricing of water |
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208 | (2) |
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10.5.4 How useful is water reporting? |
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210 | (1) |
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10.5.5 Levels and timing of water reporting |
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211 | (1) |
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212 | (2) |
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11 Accounting for biodiversity |
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214 | (23) |
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11.1 Biodiversity loss as key sustainability issue |
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215 | (3) |
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11.1.1 Biodiversity loss and the sixth mass extinction |
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216 | (1) |
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11.1.2 Ecosystem services |
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216 | (1) |
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11.1.3 Why biodiversity is important |
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217 | (1) |
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11.2 What has biodiversity got to do with organisations and accounting? |
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218 | (2) |
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11.2.1 Impacts and dependencies |
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218 | (1) |
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11.2.2 Biodiversity and accounting |
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219 | (1) |
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11.3 Institutions and initiatives relating to biodiversity |
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220 | (4) |
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11.3.1 International level initiatives |
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220 | (2) |
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11.3.1.1 The Convention on Biological Diversity |
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220 | (1) |
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11.3.1.2 The UN Sustainable Development Goals |
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220 | (1) |
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11.3.1.3 The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) |
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221 | (1) |
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11.3.1.4 The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) |
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221 | (1) |
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11.3.2 Frameworks and initiatives on assessing and valuing biodiversity |
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222 | (2) |
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11.3.2.1 The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) |
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222 | (1) |
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11.3.2.2 The Natural Capital Coalition |
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222 | (1) |
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11.3.2.3 The WBCSD Framework for Corporate Ecosystems Valuation (CEV) |
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223 | (1) |
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11.3.3 Summary of key institutions and initiatives |
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224 | (1) |
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11.4 Biodiversity accounting and accountability practices |
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224 | (6) |
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11.4.1 Reporting biodiversity |
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224 | (3) |
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11.4.1.1 Biodiversity in reporting frameworks |
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224 | (1) |
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11.4.1.2 Biodiversity reporting by various organisational types |
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225 | (2) |
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11.4.2 Recording biodiversity |
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227 | (1) |
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11.4.2.1 The bottom up approach to recording biodiversity |
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227 | (1) |
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11.4.2.2 The top down approach to recording biodiversity |
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228 | (1) |
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11.4.3 Measuring biodiversity |
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228 | (2) |
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11.4.3.1 The numerical approach |
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228 | (1) |
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11.4.3.2 The valuation approach |
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229 | (1) |
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11.5 Key debates surrounding biodiversity accounting and accountability |
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230 | (4) |
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11.5.1 What constitutes good biodiversity reporting? |
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231 | (1) |
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11.5.2 How complete are attempts to record biodiversity? |
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232 | (1) |
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11.5.3 How should we value biodiversity? |
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232 | (2) |
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11.5.4 Summary of key debates |
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234 | (1) |
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234 | (3) |
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12 Accounting for human rights |
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237 | (23) |
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238 | (3) |
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238 | (1) |
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239 | (1) |
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240 | (1) |
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12.1.4 Introduction to human rights summary |
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241 | (1) |
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12.2 What have human rights got to do with organisations and accounting? |
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241 | (1) |
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12.2.1 Organisational impacts on the rights of humans |
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241 | (1) |
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12.2.2 Human rights and organisational risk |
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242 | (1) |
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12.3 Human rights protection organisations and regulations |
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242 | (5) |
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12.3.1 The United Nations |
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242 | (3) |
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12.3.1.1 The UN Guiding Principles of Business and Human Rights |
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243 | (1) |
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12.3.1.2 The International Labour Organization |
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244 | (1) |
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12.3.1.3 The UN Sustainable Development Goals |
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245 | (1) |
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12.3.2 OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises |
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245 | (1) |
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12.3.3 Governments and national laws |
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245 | (1) |
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12.3.3.1 Modern slavery acts |
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246 | (1) |
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12.3.3.2 Conflict minerals regulation |
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246 | (1) |
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12.3.4 International NGOs |
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246 | (1) |
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12.3.5 Summary of human rights protection organisations and regulations |
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247 | (1) |
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12.4 Accounting for human rights practices |
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247 | (7) |
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12.4.1 Accounting for human rights |
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248 | (1) |
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12.4.2 How accounting can enhance accountability for human rights |
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248 | (2) |
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12.4.2.1 Human rights due diligence |
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249 | (1) |
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12.4.2.2 Accountants, accounting functions and human rights |
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250 | (1) |
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12.4.3 Human rights reporting and disclosure |
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250 | (4) |
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12.4.3.1 Sustainability reporting frameworks |
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251 | (1) |
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12.4.3.2 The UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework |
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252 | (1) |
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12.4.3.3 Regulated reporting practice |
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253 | (1) |
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12.4.4 Summary of accounting for human rights practices |
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254 | (1) |
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12.5 Developing human rights accounting and accountability practices |
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254 | (4) |
|
12.5.1 Will better reporting and greater transparency improve human rights? |
|
|
254 | (2) |
|
12.5.2 Reporting boundaries and accountability |
|
|
256 | (1) |
|
12.5.3 Summary of questions concerning accounting for human rights |
|
|
257 | (1) |
|
|
258 | (2) |
|
13 Accounting for economic inequality |
|
|
260 | (23) |
|
13.1 What is economic inequality and why is it a sustainability issue? |
|
|
261 | (5) |
|
13.1.1 What is economic inequality? |
|
|
261 | (1) |
|
13.1.2 Measuring economic inequality |
|
|
262 | (1) |
|
13.1.3 Causes of economic inequality |
|
|
263 | (1) |
|
13.1.4 So why is economic inequality a sustainability problem? |
|
|
264 | (2) |
|
13.2 What has economic inequality got to do with organisations and accounting? |
|
|
266 | (2) |
|
13.2.1 How economic inequality affects organisations |
|
|
266 | (1) |
|
13.2.2 How organisations and accounting can affect economic inequality |
|
|
267 | (1) |
|
13.2.3 Summary of how accounting, organisations and economic inequality are connected |
|
|
267 | (1) |
|
13.3 Economic inequality: Relevant institutions and organisations |
|
|
268 | (2) |
|
13.3.1 International organisations |
|
|
268 | (1) |
|
13.3.1.1 The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) |
|
|
268 | (1) |
|
13.3.1.2 The International Labour Organization (ILO) |
|
|
268 | (1) |
|
13.3.1.3 Oxfam International |
|
|
268 | (1) |
|
13.3.2 International social movements |
|
|
269 | (1) |
|
13.3.2.1 The Occupy Movement |
|
|
269 | (1) |
|
13.3.2.2 Living wage campaign groups |
|
|
269 | (1) |
|
13.3.3 National tax, income and workplace policies |
|
|
270 | (1) |
|
13.4 Accounting and accountability for economic inequality |
|
|
270 | (7) |
|
13.4.1 The organising of economic activity |
|
|
270 | (1) |
|
|
271 | (2) |
|
13.4.3 Taxes, tax avoidance and economic inequality |
|
|
273 | (2) |
|
13.4.4 Economic inequality disclosure practices |
|
|
275 | (2) |
|
13.4.4.1 The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) |
|
|
275 | (1) |
|
13.4.4.2 Economic inequality in other reporting frameworks and practices |
|
|
276 | (1) |
|
13.5 Economic inequality: What is still left to resolve? |
|
|
277 | (3) |
|
13.5.1 Improving accounting for equality in various organisational forms |
|
|
277 | (1) |
|
13.5.2 Changing accounting logic in relation to labour |
|
|
278 | (1) |
|
13.5.3 Accounting's role in tax |
|
|
278 | (2) |
|
13.5.4 Limits in current reporting practices |
|
|
280 | (1) |
|
|
280 | (3) |
Part IV Conclusion |
|
283 | (6) |
|
|
285 | (4) |
|
|
285 | (2) |
|
Accounting and accountability in the transition to sustainability |
|
|
287 | (2) |
Index |
|
289 | |