How Can Accountants Enhance (or Save) Natural and Cultural Capital Valuation? Engaging Academics: A Collaboration with CPA Canada and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO*

Abstract

Accountants should engage more with natural and cultural capital accounting to make tools more accessible and to ensure critical information is provided to decision-makers. While ecological economists have continued to innovate and design tools, corporate-level accounting has seemingly lagged behind. We argue that the time is now for accounting researchers and practitioners to come together to build upon these tools to advance a sustainable agenda. We examine possibilities through the novel lens of a recent Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada and Canadian Commission for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report that explores tools to measure natural and cultural capital at UNESCO designated sites in Canada. From here, we pose a variety of questions, critiques, and pathways for researchers and practitioners alike.