Introduction
The purpose of this study is to report on the application of Environment Management Accounting (EMA) methodology to accounting practices at a Canadian paper mill. The study is based on an EMA methodology explained by Christine Jasch in "Environmental Menagement Accounting Metrics, Procedures and Principles", one of three reports prepared for the United Nations Division for Sustainable Development (UNDSD) by the Expert Working Group on Improving Government's Role in a promotion of Environmental Management Accounting Systems [1-3]. Jasch's paper was subsequently published by UNDSD under the title "Environmental management accounting procedures and principles" [4]. Jasch's later paper on "The use of environmental management accounting (EMA) for identifying environmental costs" provides a practical application of the framework [5].
A second practical application is provided here. In this respect, the paper provides a technical guide to assessing environmental costs. To this end, the application of the EMA methodology to accounting practices at a Canadian paper mill focuses on the derivation of information about environmental costs from accessible company data. Ad a case study, the reported results are indicative of the range of categories of costs to be considered. A more exhaustive study on questionable costs or costs not presently reported would be required for a complete account. While the analysis presented focuses on costs, this focus is not intended to overshadow the benefits brought about by expenditures on pollution prevention, control and management. It would be a mistake to conclude that companies can save money by reducing environmental costs without a full analysis of the benefits brought about by environmental expenditures.