Sustainability has become a critical area of focus globally. As the world grapples with climate change, resource depletion, and environmental degradation, there is an urgent need for education systems to incorporate sustainability principles. This is especially so in higher education. The integration of sustainability in accounting, administration, and financing programmes has become increasingly essential due to growing awareness of environmental, social, and economic challenges. For instance, accounting practices now need to include environmental impacts. This involves tracking and reporting on carbon footprints, resource consumption, waste management, and other environmental metrics. Also, traditional financial metrics are being complemented with sustainability indicators, such as the Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Profit), to provide a holistic view of a company's performance.
Moreover, governments and regulatory bodies are imposing stricter environmental and sustainability reporting requirements. Accountants must ensure compliance with these regulations. Furthermore, employers are increasingly demand that university graduates are familiar with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors and how these are used in their decision-making processes. Accurate and transparent sustainability accounting can attract responsible investments. Finally, sustainability issues, such as climate change and resource scarcity, pose significant risks to businesses. Accounting for these risks help organisations to develop strategies to mitigate them.
It is based on the perceived need to better understand how sustainability may be included as part of study programmes in accounting, administration and financing courses, to the advantage of teaching staff and students that the "Symposium on Sustainability in Accounting, Management, Finance and Taxation Programmes in Higher Education” is being organised. It will be held in the city of Barcelos, Portugal, on 29th-30th May 2025.
