Sustainability and ethics

Finance has a key role to play in sustainability, by providing business intelligence to support strategy and long-term decision making.

Sustainability and ethics reports

Report cover of Embedding ethical values into the corporate cultureEmbedding ethical values into the corporate culture
April 2013

Read about a roundtable on corporate integrity discussing the issues of embedding ethical values into the corporate culture of an organisation.

 

 

Report cover of corporate social responsibility and innovation in management accountingCorporate social responsibility and innovation in management accounting
March 2013

Find out how companies embed CSR in their management control systems (MCS) in an attempt to align the behaviour of organisational participants with strategic objectives concerning sustainability in China.

 

 

Fact or fiction? GlobalFact or fiction? Global report
October 2012

This paper provides a picture of the opportunities and challenges finance transformation is creating and the skills you need as a finance professional.

 

 

 

Acting under pressure – how management accountants manage ethical issuesActing under pressure – how management accountants manage ethical issues
July 2012

This report highlights the different areas where management accountants might experience pressure in the workplace, set against the wider ethical environment, as well as exploring in more detail the context of five CIMA markets.

 

 

Management control for sustainability strategyManagement control for sustainability strategy
October 2011

This study develops a conceptual framework to understand the roles and uses of control systems in the integration of sustainability within organisational strategy.

 

 

Building world-class businesses for the long term: challenges and opportunitiesBuilding world class businesses for the long term: challenges and opportunities
October 2011

This report, launched at the 2011 CIMA world conference, analyses what a long term approach looks like in practice, and what challenges face companies that want to lengthen their horizons and create sustainable enterprises.

 

 

Strategic responses to global climate change: a UK analysisStrategic responses to global climate change: a UK analysis
October 2011

This paper provides an understanding of the way in which organisations are translating strategic issues into management action in the context of their carbon impact.

 

 

Sustainability and the role of the management accountantSustainability and the role of the management accountant
October 2011

This report looks at a 2010 survey of managing directors, accountants and sustainability managers in New Zealand, which found that only a minority of accountants were given the chance to contribute towards sustainability goals.  

 

 

Sustainability performance management: how CFOs can unlock valueSustainability performance management: how CFOs can unlock value
October 2011 

This paper from CIMA and Accenture explores how robust sustainability performance management, driven by finance professionals, can be a key way to unlock business value.

 

  

SMEs set their sights on sustainabilitySMEs set their sights on sustainability
September 2011
 

In this report CIMA, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) spoke to SMEs to find out how smaller companies can implement sustainable business practices for the benefit of the environment, their communities, their customers and their bottom line.

  

Apocalypse H20: accounting for the true value of waterFact or fiction? The independent business partner: Asia
July 2011

This discussion paper outlines how finance professionals need to move from being the co-pilot into the driver's seat across the Asia region, by employing additional skills and tools.

 

 

Apocalypse H20: accounting for the true value of waterApocalypse H20: accounting for the true value of water
July 2011

Many organisations have started to respond seriously to the severe risk of increasing water shortages worldwide. This report focuses on two companies that are leading the way in the area of water management and valuation.

 

 

Fact or fiction? The independent business partnerFact or fiction? The independent business partner
April 2011

This paper is based on discussions between finance professionals from leading companies, at a CIMA roundtable held early in 2011. The aim was to provide a picture of the opportunities and challenges finance transformation is creating, with particular regard to the independence and objectivity of the finance function and its professionals.

 

 

Guide and commentary on the UK’s CRC energy efficiency schemeGuide and commentary on the UK’s CRC energy efficiency scheme
February 2011

This paper – one of a series of climate change guides from KPMG – discusses some of the possible causes and consequences of the scheme’s evolution into a levy on carbon emissions, and the implications on the estimated 14,000 organisations originally affected by it.

 

 

Tomorrow's balance sheetTomorrow’s balance sheet
February 2011

Integrating strategies for corporate responsibility and evaluating their impact, both socially and environmentally, is becoming increasingly critical to business. This paper summarises the key discussion points from a high level roundtable discussion organised by CIMA and Tomorrow’s Company, where senior business decision makers met with experts in sustainability.

 

 

Evolution of corporate sustainability practicesEvolution of corporate sustainability practices
This CIMA, AICPA and CICA report examines the state of business sustainability in the UK and North America, through surveys with over 2,000 organisational leaders from their respective memberships, and interviews with sustainability executives from leading organisations

 

 

 

Sustainability in emerging markets: lessons from South AfricaSustainability in emerging markets: lessons from South Africa
This background report by Chris Gibbons traces both the emergence of corporate responsibility issues and their impact in emerging markets, and is followed by a feature  on one of the countries that has enjoyed a high reputation in relation to sustainability – South Africa.

 

 

 

Tomorrow's ValueTomorrow's Value
The economic crisis has thrown up searching questions about what business contributes to the wider community. This paper explores and debates ideas about how business value can be redefined to create a road map for a sustainable and prosperous future. 

 

  

 

Incorporating ethics into strategyIncorporating ethics into strategy: developing sustainable business models
This new report (PDF 610KB) looks at how management accountants can shape ethical business agendas and incorporate ethics into strategy.

 

 

 

 

Westpac's squashed tomato strategyWestpac's squashed tomato strategy: sustainability strategy at Westpac
This CIMA study aims to explore how Westpac, a large Australian financial institution and leader in this field, developed and implemented a climate change sustainability strategy.

 

 

 

 

Accounting for climate changeAccounting for climate change
This research paper, nominated for a prestigious Globe Sustainability Award in the sustainability research category, outlines how management accountants can help organisations mitigate and adapt to climate change.

 

 

 

 

Managing responsible businessManaging responsible business
CIMA and the Institute of Business Ethics recently produced a report (PDF 2.44 MB) on corporate responsibility and business ethics. 

 

 

 

 

Green Veneer or Green Revolution?Green veneer or green revolution?
CIMA supported research by LGITU magazine on the fit of green IT with today's wider policy agenda.

 

 

 

 

Climate change: the role of the finance professionalClimate change survey
This international climate change survey by CIMA and Accounting for Sustainability (a Prince of Wales initiative) features the opinions of almost 900 finance and sustainability professionals.

 

 

 

 

Climate change calls for strategic changeClimate change calls for strategic change
This presentation from CIMA explains why you should adapt your strategy to embed climate change issues into normal business life. 

 

 

 

 

Emissions trading and the management accountantEmissions trading and the management accountant
This paper explores the costs and benefits of direct participation in the UK emissions trading scheme (UKETS).

 

 

 

 

Accounting for sustainable development performanceAccounting for sustainable development performance
This report explores a variety of responses to the sustainable development agenda, introduces the sustainability assessment model and provides a case study of BP.

The full report can be purchased through CIMA publishing.

 

  

 

Accounting for ethical, social, environmental and economic issuesAccounting for ethical, social, environmental and economic issues
This paper is concerned with the measurement and reporting of sustainability performance and its integration into the strategic management of an organisation.

 

 

 

Case studies

These wide-ranging case studies provide a rich resource for the management accountant who is keen to take that first step towards tackling climate change. 

CIMA has also signed up to the Copenhagen Communiqué.