Integrated reporting and internal cost information: a view of the historical landscape

In 2010, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and the Prince of Wales’ Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S), in conjunction with the accounting profession, formed The International Integrated Reporting Committee1 (IIRC). Their vision and guiding principles are contained in their prototype for a single corporate reporting framework (IIRC, 2012) which highlights the disclosure of content relating to the strategic stance of the individual firm. The aim of this paper was to gain historical insights on the integration of environmental issues within the internal cost information systems of institutions operating under the umbrella of an industry group’s strategic stance. Underpinned by institutional theory, the study sought to illuminate interconnections. Data was obtained through mixed methods, and the early evidence displayed a landscape of diversity between environmental costs, and their accumulation and integration within the accounting information system.