Accounting for changes in biodiversity and ecosystem services from a business perspective

Joel Houdet (), Charlotte Pavageau, Michel Trommetter and Jacques Weber
Additional contact information
Charlotte Pavageau: AgroParisTech
Jacques Weber: UPR Ressources forestières - Ressources forestières et politiques publiques - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement

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Abstract: Biodiversity refers to the dynamics of interactions between organisms in changing environments. Within the context of accelerating biodiversity loss worldwide, firms are under increasing pressures from stakeholders to develop appropriate tools to account for the nature and consequences of their actions, inclusive of their influences on ecosystem services used by other agents. This paper presents a two-pronged approach towards accounting for changes in biodiversity and ecosystem services from a business perspective. First, we seek to analyze how Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) may be used by firms to identify and account for the interactions between their activities and biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES). To that end, we use dairy farming as a case study and propose general recommendations regarding accounting for changes in biodiversity and ecosystem services from a management accounting perspective. Secondly, after discussing the corporate reporting implications of the main environmental accounting approaches, we propose the underlying principles and structural components of a Biodiversity Accountability Framework (BAF) which would combine both financial and BES data sets; hence, suggesting the need for changes in business accounting and reporting standards. Because this would imply significant changes in business information systems and corporate rating practices, we also underline the importance of making the associated technological, organizational and institutional innovations financially viable. The BAF should be designed as an information base, coconstructed with stakeholders, for setting up and managing new modes of regulation combining tools for mitigating BES loss and remunerating BES supply.

Keywords: biodiversity accountability framework; Accounting; business; biodiversity; ecosystem services; indicators; management accounting; financial accounting; reporting; corporate social responsibility; standards; biodiversity accountability framework. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-00434450v1
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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