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environmental accounting design - Covenant University Repository

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whole essence of placing monetary value above other human virtues in <strong>environmental</strong> issues.<br />

He also recognized the absurdity of discounting and discountenancing future <strong>environmental</strong><br />

impact on human values.<br />

From investigations with the Federal Ministry of Environment, EIA study conducted by<br />

the oil & gas (exploration and producing), manufacturing and other companies having<br />

activities that impact on the environment has been accepted as a regulatory requirement in<br />

Nigeria. Achieving effective EIA is however froth with uncertainties in Nigeria since the<br />

objective estimation of input and output values is not so reliable. Besides, there is excessive<br />

fluctuation in the discount factor for purpose of benefit-cost analysis. Non-available market<br />

values for certain natural resources costs and benefits such as the fauna, fishing ponds or rivers,<br />

among others, makes it extremely difficult to place monetary value on the factors of<br />

measurement. This study is aimed at enhancing regulatory EIA for purpose of <strong>environmental</strong><br />

impact project benefit-cost analysis.<br />

Hansen and Mowen (2000) and the ICF Incorporated (1996) in Ontario Hydro study<br />

have made tremendous effort to shape the direction for <strong>environmental</strong> <strong>accounting</strong> or full cost<br />

<strong>accounting</strong> also referred to as green <strong>accounting</strong> in U.S.EPA (1995a) in the AT & T Study.<br />

Environmental Accounting Defined<br />

At all times it is important in decision making to provide accurate costs information.<br />

The consciousness and need to protect the environment will make for <strong>environmental</strong> costs to<br />

be identified, accurately measured and reported. Besides, certain <strong>environmental</strong> costs have<br />

previously been reported conventionally along with companies’ overheads before allocation to<br />

products or processes. Sometimes they have been totally left out of financial reporting because<br />

they constitute externality social costs which did not form part of bottom-line financial<br />

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