Social and environmental costs: The impact of accounting and analytical support on enterprises' sustainable development in Germany and Ukraine

Abstract

The authors investigate the theoretical and methodological ability of the accounting institute to solve the problem of information support for the implementation of the national (global) sustainable development policy. This ability is demonstrated by using methods of accounting and analytical support and mathematical analysis of the quadratic correlation and regression dependence of the added value of enterprises from the value of social and environmental costs. All studies were conducted separately for micro, small, medium and large enterprises in Ukraine and Germany (2011-2019). The results are designed using the U-shaped curve which demonstrates a direct relationship between environmental costs and the added value of the company for Ukrainian enterprises and indirect one for micro and large enterprises in Germany. Social expenses show a significant inverse U-shaped relationship with the value of the company in Ukraine, but large German enterprises fall out of this list and patterns. The ability of integrated reporting to mitigate the imbalance between the added value of the enterprise (enterprise value) and social/environmental costs has been proven. It is determined that the formation and presentation of integrated reporting should be the prerogative of not only large enterprises, but also medium and small ones, and it will ultimately lead to the sustainable development of the region, industry, and country.