The urgency of climate change, combined with the introduction of new global standards such as IFRS/ISSB S2, has brought carbon accounting and climate-related disclosure to the forefront of corporate reporting. Firms, investors, and regulators increasingly demand decision-useful, reliable, and comparable information; yet major challenges remain in the measurement, assurance, and accountability of carbon accounting and climate-related disclosures.

Recent scholarship has explored these issues from multiple perspectives. Studies highlight the costs and benefits of greenhouse gas (GHG) measurement (Mahieux et al., 2025), the development of new accounting artefacts such as carbon balance sheets (Kaplan & Ramanna, 2025; Penman, 2024; Reichelstein, 2024), the positive market impacts of detailed and transparent disclosure (Phang et al., 2025), and the role of institutional ownership in fostering disclosure and reducing emissions (Cohen et al., 2023). At the same time, the shift from voluntary to mandatory disclosure regimes underscores the importance of advancing both theoretical and applied research (Amel-Zadeh & Tang, 2025).

This Special Issue responds to these developments by providing a dedicated forum for rigorous academic inquiry and informed debate at the intersection of carbon accounting, climate disclosure, and sustainability.

Guest editors:

Qingliang Tang, Professor in accounting and the leader of the Carbon Accounting & Sustainability Research Group (CASR), Western Sydney University (q.tang@westernsydney.edu.au). He has been named among the World’s Top 2% Scientists and is also ranked among the Top 50 most-cited authors in the field of carbon accounting in business journals. He is also a leading contributor to carbon accounting research and publications, including the book: Tang, Qingliang. 2025. Carbon Accounting,Climate Disclosure and Sustainability (Volume I and II). Palgrave MacMillian (Springer Nature).

Paul A. Griffin, Emeritus Distinguished Professor, Graduate School of Management, University of California, Davis (pagriffin@ucdavis.edu). Honorary Professor, Department of Accounting & Finance, University of Otago, New Zealand. He has been named among the World’s Top 2% Scientists. His more recent publications focus on climate-related topics, such as how GHG emissions, disclosures and extreme weather events affect stock returns and disclosure strategies. He is a consulting editor and former co-editor of Accounting Horizons.

Albert Tsang, Chair Professor of Accounting at the Zhejiang University , received the American Accounting Association (AAA) Distinguished Contribution to Accounting Literature Award in 2022for his research in ESG/sustainability reporting. His research has garnered over 14,000 citations. He is ranked among the top 50 accounting scholars worldwide by ScholarGPS and was recognized by Research.com in 2025 as the leading scholar in Business and Management in China. Email: AlbertTsang_2022@outlook.com.

Laura Luo, Associate Professor, Macquarie University (le.luo@mq.edu.au). She has been named among the World’s Top 2% Scientists. She also publishes major works on carbon accounting and sustainability.

Paolo Perego, Full Professor, Free University of Bolzano (paolo.perego@unibz.it). Over the past 25 years, his research has focused on sustainability/ESG/carbon accounting, reporting and assurance, with publications in leading accounting and management journals. He currently serves as an Editor for the Journal of Accounting and Public Policy.

Consultant: Professor Roger Simnett. Emeritus Professor of Accounting, UNSW Sydney, Professorial Research Fellow, Business School, Deakin University.

Special issue information:

The purposes of this Special Issue are to:

• Advance scholarly understanding of carbon accounting, reporting, and sustainability.
• Provide insights into the implications of climate and carbon reporting for corporate governance, assurance, and policymaking.
• Encourage interdisciplinary research that connects accounting with finance, management, information technology, and sustainability studies.
• Offer practitioners, regulators, and policymakers decision-relevant insights to address the challenges of transitioning toward a sustainable, low-carbon economy.

The Special Issue seeks contributions that address the theoretical, empirical, and/or policy dimensions of carbon accounting and sustainability reporting, highlighting how accounting can shape climate accountability and societal impact.

Key Topics

We invite high-quality, original submissions on (but not limited to) the following topics:

• Carbon accounting frameworks, methodologies, and innovations
• Climate and carbon disclosure practices (mandatory vs. voluntary reporting)
• Assurance and verification challenges of GHG emissions and other climate-related disclosures
• Carbon credits, emissions trading, and regulatory frameworks
• ESG disclosure and sustainability reporting
• Emerging technologies (e.g., AI, FinTech, blockchain) in carbon accounting and management
• Green and sustainable finance, and their interactions with financial markets
• Corporate finance analysis of carbon emissions and climate risk management
• Education and training in carbon accounting and reporting
• Nature and biodiversity accounting and disclosure

Manuscript submission information:

• Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the Journal of Accounting and Public Policy author guidelines.
• Submissions must represent original work not under consideration at any other journal or conference.
• All papers will be subject to the journal’s standard double-blind peer review process.
• Authors should submit via the JAPP online submission system, selecting VSI: Carbon & Sustainability.

Timeline:

Submission Open Date: 1 September 2026

Manuscript Submission Deadline: 1 March 2027

References:

Amel-Zadeh, A. & Tang, Q. (2025). Managing the shift from voluntary to mandatory climate disclosure: The role of carbon accounting. British Accounting Review, 57(2), 101594.

Cohen, S., Kadach, I., & Ormazabal, G. (2023). Institutional investors, climate disclosure, and carbon emissions. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 76(2-3), 101640.

Kaplan, R. S., & Ramanna, K. (2025). E-ledgers Carbon Accounting. Working Paper 26-004, Harvard Business School. Available at SSRN 5376839. 

Mathieux, L., Sapra, H., & Zhang, G. (2025). Measuring greenhouse gas emissions: What are the costs and benefits? Journal of Accounting Research, 63(3), 1063-1105.

Penman, S.H. (2024). Accounting for Carbon. Working paper, Columbia Business School. Available at SSRN 4721974.

Phang, S.-Y., Dharmasiri, P., & Puspitasari, D. (2025). Investor reactions to climate change disclosures: Joint effects of disclosure focus and controllability. Contemporary Accounting Research, 42(2), 1359–1387.

Reichelstein, S. (2024). Corporate carbon accounting: Balance sheets and flow statements. Review of Accounting Studies, 29(3), 2125-2156.

Keywords: 

Carbon accounting; GHG emissions; Carbon disclosure; Carbon assurance; Emissions trading; ESG reporting; Sustainable finance; Climate risk; Carbon credits; Biodiversity.