Accountants, accounting and environmental reporting

Abstract

Environmental reporting is becoming more and more common in business since most companies are aware ofthat environment as a business issue and it makes good business sense and positive public relations. Thus, companies are voluntarily motivated to produce environmental reporting. Sri Lanka as a developing country which has less physical and natural resources it is very important to make proper management over these resources in order to achieve a sustainable development in the country irrespective the controllership of resources. Tlierefore, accountants' contribution as an information provider is very important to make proper management over environmental issues of the firm. However, recent research on environmental reporting says that environmental reporting in Sri Lanka and contribution of accountantsfor successful environmental management is inadequate. Thus, this study attempts to examine accountant s attitudes on environmental reporting in Sri Lanka. A survey and inten'iews are used in data collection. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (IACS) circulated sur\>ey instruments among its members in late 2004. Finally, 48 useful responses were received. A dditionally ten members of the LA CS were randomly selected and inten'iewed them to get their feedback on environmental reporting. Study found that although, accountants ha\!e understood the significance of environmental disclosures their contribution for implement to disclosures of such information is low. Because of environmental reporting in Sri Lanka is still a voluntary requirement.