Direct accounts draw out sustainability related information that is otherwise hidden in the traditional financial accounts. These provide a restatement of traditional financial information to show expenditure on social and environmental activities and capture any associated benefits. • Indirect accounts provide the financial expression of selected externalities, both environmental and social. An externality may be defined as a cost (or benefit) which is borne by stakeholders such as the local community or suppliers, rather than the organisation itself. Where possible, financial values are assigned to indirect values. When this is not possible; the indirect impact should be stated in non-financial terms. Indirect impacts accrue to third party stakeholders.
It is usual to produce separate direct accounts for environment and social and the same for indirect accounts as it is not appropriate to compare, merge or offset one cost/benefit against another. Preparation of the Direct Accounts There are four steps in the preparation of the direct environment and social accounts. Step 1 Determination of the scope and boundary of the accounts It is important to specify the scope of the accounts at an early stage. It will also be necessary to determine whether there is a physical boundary to the area that the accounts are to cover, perhaps a time period, stakeholder or spatial boundary. Step 2 Identify all environmental and social features of the organisation Environmental and social features are any aspect of the organisation’s activities, which will have a beneficial impact. At this stage all environmental and social features should be included even if the main driver was statutory or commercial. Step 3 Identify additional financial costs For each feature, identify the additional financial costs which would not otherwise be spent if environmental or social considerations were not being made. This is done using the following classification: • Staff costs • Suppliers/contractors • Regulatory • Capital costs Step 4 Identify Additional financial savings/benefits For each feature identify any actual or projected financial benefits/savings that may be attributed to the environmental or social feature using the following classification: • Revenue generated • Cost savings/costs avoided • Regulatory costs avoided • Grants/subsidies/awards received