ESG Management Accounting for Corporate Low-Carbon Transformation: A Comparative Case Study Between High-Pollution and Green Industries

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jbm.202509610

Author(s)

Cheng Wang

Affiliation(s)

Overseas Education College, Jimei University, International Accounting Major, Fujian, China

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the accelerated implementation of global carbon neutrality strategies, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) management accounting, as a core tool for balancing corporate environmental responsibility and economic performance, is seeing its theoretical and practical significance become increasingly prominent. This paper, grounded in the Resource-Based View (RBV) [1], employs a comparative case study method, selecting representative firms from a high-pollution, high-profit industry, Shanghai Port (600018), and a benchmark green food industry firm, Sysco (SYY), for empirical analysis. It explores the differential pathways and effectiveness of ESG management accounting in facilitating low-carbon transformation across different industries. The research finds: Firstly, high-pollution enterprises can achieve a "green-profit" win-win through environmental cost internalization. For example, Shanghai Port's shore power electrification transformation reduced single-container energy consumption by 40% and increased the ESG investment return rate to 9%. Secondly, green industry firms can leverage ESG premiums to enhance market competitiveness; Sysco achieved a 23% reduction in carbon emissions through low-carbon cold chain technology, with a green product premium rate of 12% [2]. Thirdly, innovation in management accounting tools is a core driver of industry low-carbon transformation; the Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) system helped high-pollution firms reduce environmental costs by 11.2%, while the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model assisted green firms in accurately identifying and realizing carbon asset benefits. Based on these conclusions, this paper further proposes recommendations for constructing a differentiated green financial policy incentive system and advancing the development and application of ESG-AI prediction systems. These aim to provide actionable, systematic solutions for enterprises in different industries to achieve low-carbon transformation through management accounting, while also offering empirical reference for the industry-specific application of ESG management accounting theory.

Keywords

ESG Management Accounting; Environmental Cost Accounting; Carbon Asset Pricing; High-Pollution Industry Transformation; Green Premium

References

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