Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting: The Growing Need for Input from the Accounting Profession

Ambrose Jones, PhD, CPA, and Gregory A. Jonas, PhD, CMA

The primary attention of most business owners, accountants, and auditors has been directed to the bottom line—net income or earnings per share (EPS). In recent years, however, business stakeholders have sharpened their focus and heightened their expectations with a new interest in voluntary reporting about an entity's “triple bottom line”—its economic, environmental, and societal accomplishments. No longer is it just GAAP and GAAS—there is now CSR and GRI, and with these reporting methods come responsibilities and opportunities for accountants and auditors. The purpose of this article is to introduce the what, who, and why of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), along with some practical guidance for an accounting practice.