Sustainability cost accounting - part 2 : a case study in the South African process industry

Abstract

A Sustainability Cost Accounting (SCA) procedure has been introduced that expresses the impacts on sustainable development associated with a developed technology, by means of a common financial denominator. This paper uses a case study to demonstrate and assess the SCA procedure, which considers the construction and operation of a hypothetical Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) fuelmanufacturing facility at a specific location in South Africa. The SCA indicators show that the negative environmental impacts associated with the GTL technology outweigh the internal economic benefits for the company. However, a net positive social benefit is associated with the technology, which decision-makers should consider with respect of the overall sustainability of the technology. Certain limitations of the SCA procedure are highlighted, and recommendations are made to develop such a methodology further.

’n Volhoubaarheid Koste-Rekeningkunde prosedure (VKR) word voorgestel waarvolgens die impakte van ’n ontwikkelde tegnologie op volhoubaarheid in ’n gemeenskaplike finansiële waarde aangegee kan word. ’n Gevallestudie word hier gebruik om die VKR-prosedure te demonstreer. Die gevallestudie beskryf die konstruksie en bedryf van ’n hipotetiese Gas-tot-Vloeistof brandstofvervaardigingsfasiliteit (GTV)in ‘n spesifieke area van Suid-Afrika. Die VKR-indikators dui aan dat die negatiewe omgewingsimpakte van die GTV tegnologie tot ‘n geringe mate groter is as die interne ekonomiese voordele vir die maatskappy. Die tegnologie het wel oorwegende positiewe sosiale voordele wat besluitnemers in ag moet neem wanneer die globale volhoubaarheid van die tegnologie ge-assesseer word. Sekere beperkinge van die VKR-prosedure word uitgelig en voorstelle word gemaak om dié tipe metodologie verder te ontwikkel.