Title: A comparison of US and Canadian environmental disclosures according to AICPA and CICA guidelines

Authors: Paul A. Ashcroft

Addresses: School of Accountancy, Missouri State University, 901 S. National Avenue, Springfield, Missouri 65897, USA

Abstract: This study discusses potential influences on firms to provide voluntary environmental disclosure and empirically analyses the extent of environmental disclosure and changes in disclosure levels in the annual reports of US and Canadian firms over a three-year period. Firms' environmental disclosure content is measured based on environmental reporting guidelines published by the American Institute of Public Accountants and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. Overall, US firms provided a significantly higher level of environmental disclosure than did Canadian firms. Also, firms in each nation did provide a significant increase in disclosure for at least one specific environmental subject area relative to firms in the other nation. Regression results indicate that the number of polluting facilities and firm size each have a positive and significant effect on the extent of environmental disclosure.

Keywords: environmental disclosure; voluntary disclosure; environmental reporting guidelines; SOP 96-1; AICPA; CICA; American Institute of Public Accountants; Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants; disclosure changes; USA; United States; Canada; environmental pollution; polluting facilities; firm size.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAAPE.2015.071584

International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation, 2015 Vol.11 No.3/4, pp.353 - 394

Received: 04 Jan 2014
Accepted: 03 Oct 2014
Published online: 02 Sep 2015 *

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