Responsible Finance and Accounting: Performance and Profit for Better Business, Society and Planet

The UN Sustainable Development Goals, an increasing interest in Environmental, Social, and Governance factors, the climate crisis, stakeholder pressure, the lessons of corporate scandals, and the COVID-19 pandemic have triggered a massive change in how companies approach finance and accounting practices. From being a ‘nice-to-have’ to becoming a ‘must-have’, Responsible Finance and Accounting positions itself as a key pillar in tomorrow’s better world for business, society, and planet.

In this book, leading researchers and practitioners in the field of corporate social responsibility, from the schools and corporate partners of the Council on Business & Society, give you key insights into green finance and social and environmental reporting, national, international and corporate stakes in green taxonomy and carbon tax, and triple capital accounting. It also details how to model effective and low-cost social impact reporting, ethics in finance and accounting, and strategies for microfinance and finance-related social innovation. Each insight is accompanied by key takeaways, food for thought, and micro-case study sections.

This accessible book will be a valuable resource for scholars, instructors, and upper-level students across finance and accounting as well as corporate social responsibility and business ethics. It will also serve as a guide for professionals aiming to deepen their understanding of new finance and accounting practice.

Adrián Zicari is Co-Head of the Accounting and Management Control Department at ESSEC Business School, Director of the Management and Society track, and Academic Director of the Council on Business & Society. He is also the Honorary representative for Buenos Aires in Paris. He holds a PhD in Management Administration from the Universidad Nacional de Rosario, an MBA (Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez), and a BSc in Accounting. Adrian’s career has spanned the corporate sector as Financial Manager and Controller and his academic research has been widely published in leading journals, among others, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Cleaner Production, and Social and Environmental Accountability Journal.

Tom Gamble is Executive Director of the Council on Business & Society, running the operations, communications, and publications branches of the alliance. He holds an MA in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations from Keele University as well as several coaching certifications. Tom’s career has spanned teaching, lecturing, thought leadership, consulting, and instructional design, working with over 100 companies and educational institutions worldwide. He is a published author of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.