Advancing Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) Research: Integrating Sustainability in Corporate Practices and Reporting

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue is to collate pioneering qualitative and quantitative research in the areas of sustainability management, ESG reporting and impact accounting, governance for environment and social issues, integrated reporting, SDGs and 2030 UN agenda, marketing and greenwashing, ESG data and business, sustainability reporting assurance (SRA), and green and sustainable finance.

In recent years, though there has been a tectonic shift towards sustainable investing, the fair pursuit of profit is still what animates markets, and the long-term profitability is the measure by which markets will ultimately determine a company’s success. In this context, ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) is an umbrella term that refers to specific data designed to be used by investors for evaluating the material risk that an organization is taking based on the externalities it is generating. The data produced can also be used within an organization as metrics for strategic and managerial purposes.

Investors may also use ESG data beyond assessing material risks to the organization in their evaluation of enterprise value, specifically by designing models based on assumptions that the identification, assessment and management of sustainability-related risks and opportunities in respect to all organizational stakeholders lead to higher long-term risk-adjusted return. Organizational stakeholders include, but are not limited to, customers, suppliers, employees, leadership, and the environment. Hence, state-of-the-art research pertaining to sustainability in business is deemed timely and necessary.

We welcome papers on the contextualization of the topics mentioned below with respect to the management and governance of emerging organizational problems to cope with environmental and social concerns at business and corporate levels:

• Sustainability management and business;
• ESG reporting and sustainability performance measurement;
• Governance for environmental and social impacts;
• Communication and marketing in sustainability: spotting greenwashing;
• Green and sustainable finance.

References:

• Alessi, L., Cojoianu, T., Hoepner, A. & Michelon, G. (2022). Accounting for the EU Green Taxonomy. Special Issue of Accounting Forum and European Commission–Call for Papers.
• Akpinar, O. (2021). The EU Taxonomy and its Possible Effects on Hydropower. WasserWirt-shaft. 111(4), 42–43.
• Ascui, F., & Lovell, H. (2011). As Frames Collide: Making Sense of Carbon Accounting. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal. 24(8), 978–999.
• Baboukardos, D. (2017). Market Valuation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions under a Mandatory Reporting Regime: Evidence from the UK. Accounting Forum, 41(3), 221–233.
• Becchetti, L., Cordella, M. & Morone, P. (2022). Measuring Investments Progress in Ecological Transition: The Green Investment Financial Tool (GIFT) Approach. Journal of Cleaner Production. 357.
• Bond, A. & Dusík, J. (2022). Environmental Assessments and Sustainable Finance Taxonomies–A Riposte. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal. 40(2), 123–128.
• Comoli, M., Tettamanzi, P. & Murgolo, M. (2023). Accounting for ‘ESG’ under Disruptions: A Systematic Literature Network Analysis. Sustainability.
• De Wolf, C., Cordella, M., Dodd, N., Byers, B. & Donatello, S. (2022). Whole life cycle environmental impact assessment of buildings: Developing software tool and database support for the EU framework Level(s). Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 188.
• Edenhofer, O., Klein, C., Lessmann, K. & Wilkens, M. (2022). Financing the Transformation: a Proposal for a Credit Scheme to Finance the Paris Agreement. Climate Policy.
• Faccia, A., Manni, F. & Capitanio, F. (2021). Mandatory ESG Reporting and XBRL Taxonomies Combination: ESG Ratings and Income Statement, a Sustainable Value-Added Disclosure. Sustainability. 13(16), 8876.
• Freiberg, D., Panella, K., Serafeim, G. & Zochowski, R. (2020). Accounting for Organiza-tional Employment Impact. Working Paper–Harvard Business School Paper Series.
• Freiberg, D., Park, D. G., Serafeim, G. & Zochowski, R. (2021). Corporate Environmental Impact: Measurement, Data and Information. Working Paper – Harvard Business School Pa-per Series.
• Gibon, T., Popescu, I.-S., Hitaj, C., Petucco, C. & Benetto, E. (2020). Shades of Green: Life Cycle Assessment of Renewable Energy Projects Financed Through Green Bonds. Environmental Research Letters. 15(10).
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• Haslam, C., Tsitsianis, N., Lehman, G., Andersson, T. & Malamatenios, J. (2018). Accounting for Decarbonization and Reducing Capital at Risk in the S&P500. Accounting Forum, 42(1), 119–129.
• Marcacci, A. (2023). Global Finance and the Anthropocene: Regulatory Shifts and Prospective Effects. European Business Law Review, 34.
• Margerison, J., Fan, M. & Birkin, F. (2019). The Prospects for Environmental Accounting and Accountability in China. Accounting Forum. 43(3), 327–347.
• Serafeim, G. & Trinh, K. (2020). A Framework for Product Impact-Weighted Accounts. Working Paper – Harvard Business School Paper Series.
• Tettamanzi, P., Venturini, G. & Murgolo, M. (2022). Sustainability and Financial Accounting: a Critical Review on the ESG Dynamics. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 29, 16758–16761.
• Usmani, M., Davidson, J. & Napier, C. J. (2020). The Production of Stand-Alone Sustainability Reports: Visual Impression Management, Legitimacy and ‘Functional Stupidity’. Ac-counting Forum. 44(4), 315–343.
• Yadong, Y (2013). Eco-efficiency trends in China, 1978-2010: Decoupling environmental pressure from economic growth. Ecological Indicators. 24, 177–184.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarising their intended contribution. Please send these to the Special Issue Editors Prof. Dr. Patrizia Tettamanzi ([email protected]), and copy /Administrative Sciences/ Editorial Office ([email protected]). The Guest Editors will review the abstracts to ensure that they are within the scope of this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Patrizia Tettamanzi
Guest Editor

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• ESG reporting
• sustainability
• impact accounting
• green finance
• sustainable corporate strategy