Corporate Social and Environmental Disclosures †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Social and Environmental Disclosures. Answer: Introduction: The primary key insights in this research propose the importance of paying close attention to aspects pertaining climate change and the trend of emissions behavior as well as the significance of interdisciplinary standpoints in environmental and social accounting. The perspectives on challenges intricated in carbon dioxide and GHG accounting are based on information gained from Air New Zealand. This involves exploring aviation in the tourism sector and looking into GHG national inventories of New Zealand. According to Dargay et al (cited in Markus et al. 2011, p. 952) both vehicle and planes ownership is estimated to be on the rise by 65% to 85%, thus likely to increase the emission of carbon dioxide globally. The estimated increase in the vehicle production in India and China may make it difficult to reduce the carbon dioxide emission over the years. The aviation industry, on the other hand, estimates a passenger growth of 4.9% annually (Airbus, cited in Markus et al. 2011, p.952) t hus increasing fuel usage. Despite efforts to reduce fuel burn in aviation, the increasing capacity of passengers, has led to more fuel usage thus more carbon dioxide emissions expected. When comparing the rates of fuel efficiency between the motor vehicles and the aviation industry, more carbon dioxide emissions are released when flying annually as compared to motor vehicles. This is due to the fact that the distance covered in the air is longer as compared to driving in the same period. There have been controversial measures of curbing emissions in Air New Zealand such as employing carbon tax. However, this seems not to favor the passengers who are likely to face the increasing costs. Other measures proposed include fuel switching, opting for renewable energy and increase in sequestration of carbon through tree planting. However, according to Milne, (cited in Smith and Rodger 2009), these methods are still not the best option since when it comes to carbon offsetting, people often overlook the idea that time difference plays a major role in emissions. The other aspect is the accounting of GHG in New Zealand. Other GHG emissions in New Zealand come from forestry and agriculture sector (Hannigan 2006). New Zealand shows its commitment through the Kyoto plan on carbon emissions. From the liability analysis in Kyoto, fluctuation in the liability provision is as a result of changes in the carbon production rather than fluctuations in the price. However, aviation emissions are not included in the Kyoto Protocol as a result not included in taxes involving domestic emissions. The Kyoto agreement stipulates on how to estimate emissions nationally in New Zealand in all sectors thus analyze carbon accounting. Finally, the paper encompasses the different meanings attributed to carbon accounting by various people and communities in all the aspects including political, social, environment, financial and physical. Role of Accounting Academics in Climate Change There is a high need for accounting academics to take part in climate change accounting research due to the increasing rate in which carbon emissions are experienced. The need to carry out urgent research on the Kyoto policies on emissions and give a clear audit of what the compliance scheme. Accounting academics play a significant role in calculating the gross emissions in climate change annually. Targets are calculated on the reductions rate to determine the trend in which climate change takes. Accounting professionals take into account the developing carbon accounting systems and the effects they have. They bring on board the analysis of carbon markets. Climate change accounting is important in calculating the financial stability of organizations in place of carbon emission. This helps to determine the annual costs and annual profits that an organization makes. This plays a significant role in shaping decisions pertaining ways to curb the effects of carbon emissions. When strategizing on plans to deal with emissions in a country, the government needs accounting professionals to regulate and calculate carbon prices in the market, substantial and extent of environmental emissions, the rate of currency exchange and carbon sequestration. These professionals ensure efficiency, accuracy, and clarity in the carbon estimates produced. With that data on future liability estimate, the government can make appropriate plans that realize changes in climate. Calculating potential estimates also helps to plan projects necessary to help in reduction of carbon emissions. Accounting professionals help to develop data that provides information on the leading causes of carbon emissions and its impacts on organizations. A research project to examine the type of projects that attract the attention of media in BHP Billiton relating to environmental issues as well as social issues. This involves looking into the issues relating to the environment that the media targets in this organization. This study aims to look into this organizations projects that receive the most attention from the media and why they do so. The objectives of this study include: According to Deegan et al. (2002), media attention is often due to negative publicity thus this research project will aim to find out the incidents that the media reports on this company. Looking into if the incidents reported are negative social or environmental issues or if the issues are positive. This objective will also involve looking into what annual reports are disclosed to the media. This objective will involve looking into the view of managers on the accountability of the information they report on. Some managers believe that information should be accessible and satisfy the reader regardless of the cost. However, according to Gordon (2011), this view is not the same especially in organizations under a capitalist society The last objective of this research is to find out if BHP has complied with community expectations, especially the community license which is given on compliance with certain social and environmental practices in the organization. This allows the organization to operate. In this research, the aim is to find out the BHP Billiton compliance to the community. The theoretical perspective to this research is based on the legitimacy theory which stipulates a system oriented overview where the organization tends to be affected by the society it operates in and also affects it. When an organization makes its policies, it does so having in mind that it can impact the insights of the broader society. This theory is based on the fact that organizations are part of a broader body, which in this case is the society. It stipulates that an organization only exists on the basis that the society recognizes it as legitimate (Benston 2009). According to Mathews (2000), the organization exists in danger if the society does not approve of their dealings thus an organization is largely dependent on the society. Another theory, surrounding this research is the stakeholder theory that states how organizations should handle stakeholders and the organizations responsibilities. The justification of this study is that it has not been carried out before in this or ganization and it will paint a better perspective of the environment and social aspects in the organization regarding management. The research will adopt the use of primary data through directly interviewing managers in this company. This method provides direct and correct insights from the managers on their take of legitimacy theory in the organization. These methods tend to examine the media attention extent on the issues in the organization both environmental issues and social issues. These methods are expected to show the relation between the media attention and the annual reports disclosed. This research is expected to shed more light on legitimacy theory in organizations and to provide findings on this company that will serve as a reference point in future. Proposed research meets interesting and different characteristics The proposed research meets the interesting and different characteristics stipulated in various ways. First, this research seeks to explore the climate change in relation to the organizations management. Through the research, more light will be shed on how BHP Billiton, accounts for the emissions behavior as well as deal with stakeholders in the organization. Secondly, this research will provide perspectives on the significance of accounting in climate change in the organization. Thirdly, the research incorporates interesting characteristic in providing insights into the challenges faced in BHP Billiton when it comes to climate change and emissions behavior. This research also seeks to establish a program that will lay a future foundation for future findings in accounting in climate change. It seeks to shed light on the legitimacy theory and how the organization is viewed in the society as well as how the society terms an organization legitimate. The research encompasses some interes ting characteristics in that; accounting will be involved to calculate the rates, gross emissions and the occurrence of emissions in the organization well as the reductions and how they have impacted the organization. It is essential to shed light on climate change and realize the implications it has had on the organization. Finally, it is interesting in that a future gap for more exploration in this area as well as unleash the role of accounting in climate change to provide accountability through providing reliable social data and environmental information. References Benston, G., J., (2009) Rejoinder to accounting and corporate accountability: an extended comment, Accounting Organizations and Society, Vol.9 No 3/4, pp.417-20. Craig, D., (2002) Introduction: The legitimising effect of social and environmental disclosures a theoretical foundation, Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal, Vol. 15 Issue: 3, pp.282-311, https:// doi.org/10.1108/09513570210435852 Degan, C., Rankin, M and Tobin, J., (2002) An examination of the corporate social and environmental disclosures of BHP from 1983-1997: a test of legitimacy theory,Accounting, Auditing Accountability journal ,Vol.15 No.3,pp.312-43. Gordon, I., (2011) Enhancing students knowledge of social responsibility accounting, Issues in Accounting Education ,Vol.24 No.3,pp.47-56. Hannigan, J., (2006) Environmental Sociology, 2nd ed., Routledge, London. Markus, J., M., Suzana, G., (2011) Climate change accounting research: keeping it interesting and different, Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal, Vol. 24 Issue: 8, pp.948-977, https:// doi.org/10.1108/09513571111184715 Mathews, M.,R., (2000) Accounting for macro-social impacts: a new research agenda,Accounting Forum,Vol.24 No.2,pp.187-96. Smith, I., and Rodger, C., (2009) Carbon emission offsets for aviation-generated emissions due to international travel to and from New Zealand, paper presented at the Conference of the National Energy Research Institute, Auckland, New Zealand, Energy Policy, Vol. 37 No. 9, pp. 3438-47.