ACCOUNTANTS’ RESPONSES TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA IN A DEVELOPING NATION: AN INITIAL AND EXPLORATORY STUDY ON FIJI

Abstract

This paper initially highlights the potential role(s) of accountants in ensuring environmental sensitivity in businesses through the mechanism commonly referred to as environmental accounting. It then proceeds to discuss their actual involvement in these issues through a review of past literature on the role of accountants in environmental management accounting and reporting in organizations and the presentation of a local study on environmental accounting. This study seeks to gain insights into the preparedness of accountants in Fiji to handle environmental accounting within the conventional accounting framework. The findings of this research are reflective of contemporary international studies, suggesting that Fiji accountants are conspicuously absent from environmental management accounting and reporting in organizations. This has been attributed to their lack of competence in environmental matters and the voluntary nature of the present environmental accounting practice. Even though the characteristics of a developing nation which pose practical difficulties for the implementation of environmental accounting in a country like Fiji need to be acknowledged, a more proactive stance from the local accountancy profession, academics, the private and public sector is warranted. It is envisaged that this initial research will add to the limited literature on environmental accounting in developing nations and provide a useful framework for further studies, especially those in the South Pacific context.