Main Article Content
Abstract
This study examines the role of green accounting, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure, and digital transparency in enhancing firm value within the sustainability economy. The research aims to move beyond traditional financial perspectives by exploring how sustainability-oriented accounting and reporting practices contribute to corporate value creation. Adopting a qualitative research approach grounded in a comprehensive literature review, this research systematically analyzes and synthesizes prior empirical and theoretical studies published in reputable international journals. The method emphasizes qualitative content analysis to identify dominant themes, patterns, and conceptual linkages among green accounting practices, ESG disclosure mechanisms, digital transparency, and firm value. The findings reveal that green accounting enables firms to internalize environmental impacts and strengthen long-term performance legitimacy. At the same time, ESG disclosure functions as a strategic signaling mechanism that reduces information asymmetry and enhances stakeholder trust. Furthermore, digital transparency is found to amplify the value relevance of sustainability disclosures by improving the accessibility, timeliness, and credibility of non-financial information. The study also identifies that the effectiveness of these practices is highly context-dependent, influenced by institutional environments, reporting quality, and digital maturity. Overall, the study concludes that integrating green accounting, ESG disclosure, and digital transparency is essential for firms seeking to enhance sustainable firm value beyond financial numbers. These findings provide important theoretical insights and managerial implications for advancing sustainability-oriented corporate reporting.
Keywords
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
- Albitar, K., Hussainey, K., Kolade, N., & Gerged, A. M. (2020). ESG disclosure and firm performance before and after IR: The moderating role of governance mechanisms. International Journal of Accounting and Information Management, 28(4), 695–717. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJAIM-09-2019-0108
- Buallay, A. (2019). Is sustainability reporting (ESG) associated with performance? Evidence from the European banking sector. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 30(1), 98–115. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-12-2017-0149
- Cheng, B., Ioannou, I., & Serafeim, G. (2014). Corporate social responsibility and access to finance. Strategic Management Journal, 35(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2131
- Connelly, B. L., Certo, S. T., Ireland, R. D., & Reutzel, C. R. (2011). Signaling theory: A review and assessment. Journal of Management, 37(1), 39–67. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310388419
- De Villiers, C., Rinaldi, L., & Unerman, J. (2014). Integrated reporting: Insights, gaps and an agenda for future research. Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, 27(7), 1042–1067. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-06-2014-1736
- Eccles, R. G., Ioannou, I., & Serafeim, G. (2014). The impact of corporate sustainability on organizational processes and performance. Management Science, 60(11), 2835–2857. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1984
- Fatemi, A., Glaum, M., & Kaiser, S. (2018). ESG performance and firm value: The moderating role of disclosure. Global Finance Journal, 38, 45–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfj.2017.03.001
- Friede, G., Busch, T., & Bassen, A. (2015). ESG and financial performance: Aggregated evidence from more than 2000 empirical studies. Journal of Sustainable Finance and Investment, 5(4), 210–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/20430795.2015.1118917
- Hummel, K., & Schlick, C. (2016). The relationship between sustainability performance and sustainability disclosure. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 35(5), 455–476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccpubpol.2016.06.001
- Huang, X. (2021). ESG performance, ESG disclosure, and firm value. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 28(2), 415–429. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2069
- Laskar, N., Chakraborty, T. K., & Maji, S. G. (2017). Corporate sustainability performance and financial performance. Management and Labour Studies, 42(2), 88–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/0258042X17703797
- López-Gamero, M. D., Molina-Azorín, J. F., & Claver-Cortés, E. (2009). The whole relationship between environmental variables and firm performance. Journal of Environmental Management, 90(10), 3110–3121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.05.007
- Reverte, C. (2012). The impact of better corporate social responsibility disclosure on the cost of equity capital. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 19(5), 253–272. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.273
- Schiemann, F., & Sakhel, A. (2018). Carbon disclosure, financial performance, and firm value. Accounting in Europe, 15(3), 353–371. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449480.2018.1504644
- Schaltegger, S., & Burritt, R. (2000). Contemporary environmental accounting. Issues, concepts, and practice. Greenleaf Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351282424
- Simnett, R., Vanstraelen, A., & Chua, W. F. (2009). Assurance on sustainability reports. Accounting Review, 84(3), 937–967. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr.2009.84.3.937
- Spence, M. (1973). Job market signaling. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 87(3), 355–374. https://doi.org/10.2307/1882010
- Suchman, M. C. (1995). Managing legitimacy: Strategic and institutional approaches. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 571–610. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1995.9508080331
- Xie, J., Nozawa, W., Yagi, M., Fujii, H., & Managi, S. (2019). Do environmental, social, and governance activities improve corporate financial performance? Business Strategy and the Environment, 28(2), 286–300. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2224
- Zhang, D., Morse, S., & Kambhampati, U. (2023). Digital transformation, ESG disclosure, and firm value. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 186, 122131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122131
References
Albitar, K., Hussainey, K., Kolade, N., & Gerged, A. M. (2020). ESG disclosure and firm performance before and after IR: The moderating role of governance mechanisms. International Journal of Accounting and Information Management, 28(4), 695–717. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJAIM-09-2019-0108
Buallay, A. (2019). Is sustainability reporting (ESG) associated with performance? Evidence from the European banking sector. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 30(1), 98–115. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-12-2017-0149
Cheng, B., Ioannou, I., & Serafeim, G. (2014). Corporate social responsibility and access to finance. Strategic Management Journal, 35(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2131
Connelly, B. L., Certo, S. T., Ireland, R. D., & Reutzel, C. R. (2011). Signaling theory: A review and assessment. Journal of Management, 37(1), 39–67. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310388419
De Villiers, C., Rinaldi, L., & Unerman, J. (2014). Integrated reporting: Insights, gaps and an agenda for future research. Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, 27(7), 1042–1067. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-06-2014-1736
Eccles, R. G., Ioannou, I., & Serafeim, G. (2014). The impact of corporate sustainability on organizational processes and performance. Management Science, 60(11), 2835–2857. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1984
Fatemi, A., Glaum, M., & Kaiser, S. (2018). ESG performance and firm value: The moderating role of disclosure. Global Finance Journal, 38, 45–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfj.2017.03.001
Friede, G., Busch, T., & Bassen, A. (2015). ESG and financial performance: Aggregated evidence from more than 2000 empirical studies. Journal of Sustainable Finance and Investment, 5(4), 210–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/20430795.2015.1118917
Hummel, K., & Schlick, C. (2016). The relationship between sustainability performance and sustainability disclosure. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 35(5), 455–476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccpubpol.2016.06.001
Huang, X. (2021). ESG performance, ESG disclosure, and firm value. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 28(2), 415–429. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2069
Laskar, N., Chakraborty, T. K., & Maji, S. G. (2017). Corporate sustainability performance and financial performance. Management and Labour Studies, 42(2), 88–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/0258042X17703797
López-Gamero, M. D., Molina-Azorín, J. F., & Claver-Cortés, E. (2009). The whole relationship between environmental variables and firm performance. Journal of Environmental Management, 90(10), 3110–3121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.05.007
Reverte, C. (2012). The impact of better corporate social responsibility disclosure on the cost of equity capital. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 19(5), 253–272. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.273
Schiemann, F., & Sakhel, A. (2018). Carbon disclosure, financial performance, and firm value. Accounting in Europe, 15(3), 353–371. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449480.2018.1504644
Schaltegger, S., & Burritt, R. (2000). Contemporary environmental accounting. Issues, concepts, and practice. Greenleaf Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351282424
Simnett, R., Vanstraelen, A., & Chua, W. F. (2009). Assurance on sustainability reports. Accounting Review, 84(3), 937–967. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr.2009.84.3.937
Spence, M. (1973). Job market signaling. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 87(3), 355–374. https://doi.org/10.2307/1882010
Suchman, M. C. (1995). Managing legitimacy: Strategic and institutional approaches. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 571–610. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1995.9508080331
Xie, J., Nozawa, W., Yagi, M., Fujii, H., & Managi, S. (2019). Do environmental, social, and governance activities improve corporate financial performance? Business Strategy and the Environment, 28(2), 286–300. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2224
Zhang, D., Morse, S., & Kambhampati, U. (2023). Digital transformation, ESG disclosure, and firm value. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 186, 122131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122131