Bioaccounting measurement of environmental assets: beyond environmental accounting
ISSN: 2049-372X
Article publication date: 5 August 2024
Issue publication date: 15 November 2024
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a framework for the bioaccounting measurement of environmental assets based on natural wealth sustainability. Specifically, this paper proposes a theoretical structure for qualitative and quantitative organization-level assessments of the existence and circulation of water, air, wildlife, flora, soil and subsoil resources.
Design/methodology/approach
This research used an inductive method with a qualitative and quantitative approach. The authors postulate a systemic and comprehensive bioaccounting measurement of environmental assets, including heterogeneous and homogeneous methods and quantitative and qualitative valuations of the resources that comprise environmental assets.
Findings
The authors describe a theoretical structure for the bioaccounting measurement of environmental assets based on the sustainability of natural wealth through heterogeneous and homogeneous measurement methods and show how to integrate these assets through an homogeneous method.
Research limitations/implications
The development of this general theoretical structure will require the integration of theoretical, conceptual and technical developments from multiple disciplines. The authors hope that the scientific community will evaluate and study this proposal for faster progress towards its practical implementation in organizations.
Originality/value
The authors structured the bioaccounting measurements, which are presented individually for each class of environmental assets. Each of these assets requires subcategories (accounts, subaccounts and resources) and recognition/measurement units. Environmental value units (EVUs) are used to standardize the plurality of measurement units.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The present article is the result of the final research report of the work titled, “Bioaccounting measurement of natural wealth. Beyond environmental accounting” that was developed as a subobjective within the framework of advances in the measurement of the sustainability of wealth controlled by organizations.
Conflicts of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Citation
Farfan-Lievano, A., Ceballos, O.I. and Mejia Soto, E. (2024), "Bioaccounting measurement of environmental assets: beyond environmental accounting", Meditari Accountancy Research, Vol. 32 No. 6, pp. 2001-2033. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-09-2022-1796
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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