Integrating Environmental Accounting in Agro-Allied and Manufacturing Industries: Role of TVET Institutions in Sustainability
Integrating Environmental Accounting in Agro-Allied and Manufacturing Industries: Role of TVET Institutions in Sustainability
Integrating Environmental Accounting in Agro-Allied and Manufacturing Industries: Role of TVET Institutions in Sustainability
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Kisumu Polytechnic, Business Studies Department, P.O. Box 143- 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
2
Siaya Institute, Business Education Department, P.O. Box 1087 40600 Siaya, Kenya
Abstract: ONLY WHEN THE LAST TREE IS CUT, ONLY WHEN THE LAST RIVER IS
POLLUTED, ONLY WHEN THE LAST FISH IS CAUGHT, ONLY THEN WILL THEY REALIZE
THAT YOU CANNOT EAT MONEY American proverb
Due to growing awareness and concern on the impact of human activity on the ecosystem, there is an
increasing trend to judge organizations in relation to the community in which it operates. The
impact of the activities on the environment with regard to pollution of water, air, land and abuse of
natural resources are coming under scrutiny of governments, stakeholders and citizens. Education is
considered the key to effective development strategies and TVET institutions then must be the master
key that can alleviate poverty, promote peace, conserve the environment, improve the quality of life
for all and help achieve sustainable development. Unless proper accounting work is done, it cannot
be determined that both have been fulfilling their responsibilities. The aim of the study was to explore
whether distinctive processes of environmental accounting are possible in agro-allied and
manufacturing industries with a view to enhancing sustainability. To accomplish this aim, this
research explores environmental accountability practices in TVET institutions. This paper is in part
of an exploratory research project and it is limited in that it attempts to be illuminative and
theoretically driven. The paper aims to prove that environmental reporting and disclosure will
enable in agro-allied and manufacturing industries undertake a major transformation that includes
approaches that harmonize economic prosperity, environmental conservation and social well-being.
However, while strategies for achieving this goal are not widespread, a range of international
experiences is beginning to suggest ways forward. These initiatives include national TVET policy
reforms, green campus, green curriculum, green community, green research and green culture. The
paper includes suggested templates that can be useful in agro-allied and manufacturing industries.
Keywords: Environmental Accounting, Sustainability, Agro-allied and Manufacturing Industries,
TVET Institutions
I. Introduction
The beginning of the 21st century is marked by a number of big challenges for the environment and for
international development: Mitigating the impact of climate change, fighting poverty, providing fair
opportunities for development and an existence worth living for a world population that is anticipated to pass the
nine billion mark by 2015, putting an end to the dramatic loss of biodiversity and effectively addressing
environmental pollution which is on the rise globally. (TVET Green Economy, 2013 pg. 13)
Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. It contains within it two key concepts which includes the concept of
needs, in particular the essential needs of the worlds poor, to which overriding priority should be given; and
the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization on the environments ability to
meet present and future needs. (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987)
In the context of sustainable development, the concept of green economy has established itself on a
global level as the new environmental guiding principle. The key issue is that the environmental protection
should be considered as more than just a general cost factor. On the contrary, it may offer more opportunities
for more economic growth, increased prosperity and social justice. The main idea is that environmental
protection, economic growth and poverty reduction can go hand in hand. Therefore a greening economy seems
indispensable because continuing 'business as usual will inevitably lead to an ecological and social dead end. It
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V. Literature Review
Many internaland external stakeholders are showing increasing interest in the environmental
performance oforganizations, particularly private sector companies.An example of internal stakeholders mightbe
employees affected by pollution in the work environment. External stakeholders includecommunities affected
by local pollution, environmental activist groups, government regulators, shareholders, investors, customers,
suppliers and others.The types and intensities of environmental pressures can vary widely from country to
countryand among different business sectors. It is safe to say, however, that environmental pressure isforcing
many organizations to look for new, creative and cost-efficient ways to manage andminimize environmental
impacts. Prominent examples of environmental pressure relevant at theinternational level include:
supply chain pressures, such as large companies requiring their suppliers to comply withthe Environmental
Management System (EMS) standard of the International Standardization Organization
disclosure pressures from various stakeholders for companies to publicly report theirenvironmental
performance in annual financial accounts and reports or in voluntarycorporate environmental performance
reports, for example, via the guidelines of the GlobalReporting Initiative; financing pressures via the worldwide
growth of socially responsible investment (SRI) funds, investment rating systems such as the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index andinvestment policy disclosure requirements;
regulatory control pressures, for example, the RoHS Directive, a European Union (EU)regulation that restricts
the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronicequipment sold in the EU;
environmental tax pressures, for example, various government-imposed environmentrelatedtaxes such as
carbon taxes, energy use taxes, landfill fees and other emissions fees;
There is growing awareness and concern on the impact of human activity on the ecosystem. This
concern at global level about the impact of human activity on the environment and the need for mitigating the
effects led to the codification of soft law on the environment which begun with the united nations Stockholm
conference on human environment and the launch of UN environmental programme in 1972. The principles
such as polluter pays, absolute liability, no fault liability, precautionary principle, intergenerational equity and
good
neighborliness
began
to
take
root
in
international
and
national
regulations.
(http://www.iucnus.org/greenaccounting.html).
The Brundtland commission report states humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to
ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs
Forms of environmental accounting include:
Environmental Management Accounting (EMA). This focusses on internal business strategy decisions
and is the process of identification, collection, and analysis of information for internal decision making. It
involves physical information on use, flows and fails of energy, water, and materials and monetary information
on environmentally related costs earnings and savings.
Environmental Financial Accounting (EFA). This is used to provide information needed by external
stakeholders on a companys financial performance. This type of accounting allows companies to prepare
financial reports for investors, lenders and other interested parties.
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FINDINGS
Approaches of Environmental Accounting
Approaches to environmental accounting include environmental conservation cost, environmental
conservation benefits and economic benefits associated with environmental costs.
Environmental Conservation Cost includes Investments and expense related to the prevention,
reduction, and/or avoidance of environmental impact, removal of such impact, restoration following the
occurrence of a disaster, and other activities are measured in monetary value.
Investment amounts are expenditures allocated during a target period for the purpose of environmental
conservation. Expense amounts refer to the expense or losses recorded under financial accounting standards
resulting from the consumption of goods or services for the purpose of environmental conservation.
(environmental accounting guidelines 2002).
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Green
Campus
Green
Curriculum
Green
Research
Green
Community
Green
Culture
demand for
green products
and services
development
of skills and
retraining
creation of
jobs
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