3rd European Sustainability Accounting & Reporting Conference (ESARC)
10 and 11 September 2026, Bamberg
University of Bamberg, Germany

Call for Papers

We are pleased to announce the 3rd European Sustainability Accounting & Reporting Conference (ESARC), organised by the University of Bamberg in Bamberg, Germany.
The conference will take place at the facilities of the University of Bamberg, in the city centre. Bamberg is easy to reach by flight & train, or car.

The ESARC Conference focuses specifically on all aspects of research on Sustainability Accounting and Sustainability Reporting. The conference comprises:

• Parallel full paper sessions with discussants

• Developmental paper sessions

• A doctoral stream

Topics of Interest

The conference welcomes submissions on multiple themes within the general scope of Sustainability Accounting and Sustainability Reporting, including (but not limited to):

• The purpose of the modern corporate report

• Implementation of European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) in corporations

• The role of the Omnibus process for sustainability reporting preparations in corporations

• The effectiveness of sustainability reporting standards

• Sustainability accounting measurement, metrics, KPIs and disclosure

• The composition, visualisation, and format of sustainability reports

• Sustainability accounting, reporting, and accountability in the public sector

• Sustainability reporting assurance and the future of auditing, assurance, and related standards

• The role of sustainability accounting and sustainability reporting in capital markets

• ESG reporting versus sustainability reporting

• Data sources for ESG information, including CRM, ERP, and business intelligence systems

• Double materiality and business risk assessments

• Sustainable governance

• Current issues in the sustainability reporting standards arena – standards or standardisation?

The ESARC Conference welcomes papers using different methodological, empirical, theoretical, and conceptual approaches, including action research, case studies, or experiments.

Submission Details

Deadline:
Papers should be submitted by 31 May 2026 (please mark submission as FULL or DEVELOPMENTAL paper) by emailing:
📧 esarc.management-accounting@uni-bamberg.de

Abstract and Full Paper Requirements:

• Full paper submissions will have discussants assigned.

• Presenters of full papers are expected to act as discussants for other papers and chair a session.

• For developmental paper sessions, please submit:

  • An abstract (max. 500 words), or

  • A short developmental paper (up to 5,000 words)

Notification of Acceptance

Authors will be notified of acceptance by 14 June 2026.

Registration & Fees

• Registration opens: 1 March 2026

• Early Bird Fee deadline: Friday, 21 June 2026

Conference Venue

An der Universität 5
96047 Bamberg
Germany

Conference Organiser

• Prof. Dr. Frank Schiemann (University of Bamberg)

Conference Co-Organiser

• Prof. Dr. Gunnar Rimmel (Aalborg University Business School)

Scientific Committee

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Diogenis Baboukardos (Audencia & University of Athens)

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Joanna Krasodomska (Krakow University of Economics)

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ronita Ram (Henley Business School)

• Prof. Dr. Gunnar Rimmel (Aalborg University Business School)

• Prof. Dr. Frank Schiemann (University of Bamberg)