The ECOMAC project (Eco-management Accounting as a Tool of Environmental
Man- agement) has provided a framework for linking environmental
management with man- agement accounting. It was funded in Theme 4,
'Human Dimensions of Environmental Change' in the EU Environment and
Climate Research Programme. The project is of high policy relevance by
contributing to the on-going debate on eco- management accounting,
reporting and indicators. It is also an area needing further re- search.
I would like to thank the research team, companies that participated as
associated con- tractors, and the advisory panel. Jonathan Parker DG
XII/D-5, European Commission Theme on Human Dimensions of Environmental
Change 7 Preface The ECOMAC project This document is the final report on
the project 'Eco-management accounting as a tool of environmental
managemenf (ECOMAC). This research project was conducted under the
Environment and Climate Programme (Human Dimension of Environmental
Change) of the European Commission (DG XII). The ECOMAC project
investigated how companies are using or intend to use environ- mental
costs and benefits figures in support of their decisions, and what they
have been doing to remedy the limitations of conventional management
accounting in this area. The research was largely explorative in nature,
but the project also produced a structured overview of the subject and
made suggestions and recommendations as to how compa- nies could improve
their own environmental accounting.