Special Issue "Social and Environmental Accounting and Sustainable Finance"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 October 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ana Fialho
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Management, CEFAGE, University of Évora, 7000-645 Évora, Portugal
Interests: financial accounting; social and environmental accounting; corporate social responsibility (CSR); financial reporting; non-financial reporting; sustainability reporting; impression management; sustainable finance
Dr. Graça Maria do Carmo Azevedo
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Research Centre on Accounting and Taxation (CICF), Escola Superior de Gestão, IPCA, 4750-821 Barcelos, Portugal
2. Higher Institute of Accounting and Administration, Aveiro University, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Interests: accounting standards; disclosure of financial information; social responsibility; integrated reporting; financial reporting; impression management; sustainability; corporate governance; intellectual capital
Dr. Teresa Eugénio
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CARME—Centre of Applied Research in Management and Economics, School of Technology and Management, Polytechnic of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal
Interests: financial accounting; social and environmental accounting; corporate social responsibility (CSR); non-financial reporting information; SDGs; sustainability education and auditing
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the relationship between social and environmental accounting (SEA) and sustainable finance. The purpose of this Special Issue is to motivate research that links these two areas and presents evidence of their interconnections and of their relationship with the United Nations Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Papers that answer research questions applied to companies in the private and public sector and companies in the non-profit sector are welcome to be submitted for publication in this Special Issue.

Sustainable Finance comprises any financial service or product that incorporates Sustainability criteria in its characteristics; specifically, with the inclusion of Environmental, Social, or Corporate Governance (ESG) factors in the business models or decisions of private, public, or third sector organizations (Non-Governmental Organizations). The introduction of ESG factors in the decisions of companies and investors, together with the economic–financial factor, seeks to contribute to reduce financial risks (for example, those associated with polluting industries), preserving the market and enhancing financial return and business development and markets.

Sustainable Finance thus aims to contribute to Sustainable Development, financing, for example, society's needs for innovation, conservation, and infrastructure, and promoting an efficient economy in the use of resources, minimizing negative impacts on the Environment (for example, favoring low carbon emissions) and in Society (for example, at the level of local communities). At the same time, Sustainable Finance aims to contribute to the stability of financial markets, through the consideration of social, environmental, and corporate governance risks associated with the activities of agents in those markets. Sustainable Development alerts us to the need to include environmental and social impacts in the way economic and financial return is generated.

In 2015, the United Nations established 17 SDGs to promote Sustainable Development. The SDGs are part of a global model of corporate governance that focuses on individuals, human rights, responding to social inequalities, and central issues such as peace, security, and climate change. The reference to the inclusive, balanced, and sustainable use of financial resources runs through the SDGs. The recent European Commission sustainable finance strategy—which will contribute to the objectives of the European green deal investment plan, in particular creating an enabling framework for private investors and the public sector to facilitate sustainable investments—enhances the need for academia to provide answers and contribute with appropriate solutions to the objectives defined for this strategy.

There is already a vast literature on the issue of social and environmental accounting and its relationship with sustainable development; however, the articulation with sustainable finance remains a little-explored domain. In addition, research on the relationship between SEA, sustainable finance, and the SDGs is important to achieve the desired sustainable economic development.

Dr. Ana Fialho
Dr. Graça Maria do Carmo Azevedo
Dr. Teresa Eugénio
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • social and environmental accounting
  • sustainable finance
  • sustainable development goals (SDGs)
  • financial risks
  • financial markets
  • environmentally sustainable investments
  • sustainable economy development
  • private sector sustainable development
  • public sector sustainable development

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

Article
What Do We Mean by Sustainable Finance? Assessing Existing Frameworks and Policy Risks
Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 975; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020975 - 19 Jan 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2703
Abstract
I observe that the sustainable finance landscape as it stands today is featured by an overabundance of heterogeneous concepts, definitions, industry and policy standards. I argue that such heterogeneity may hinder the smooth development of the conceptual thinking underpinning sustainable finance and originates [...] Read more.
I observe that the sustainable finance landscape as it stands today is featured by an overabundance of heterogeneous concepts, definitions, industry and policy standards. I argue that such heterogeneity may hinder the smooth development of the conceptual thinking underpinning sustainable finance and originates specific risks that may harm the credibility of the nascent market. These risks include green and sustainable washing, the rebranding of financial flows without additionality, the disordered adjustment in the cost of capital spreads between industries. I argue that to reflect the actual industry and policy context as wells as to steer conceptual and applied practice sustainable finance should be today referred to as “finance for sustainability”. To this extent, both its definition and implementing standards should make clear reference to the relevant sustainability dimensions (in particular in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement) and to the sectors or activities that positively contribute to these dimensions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social and Environmental Accounting and Sustainable Finance)
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