The 20th anniversary of the Bill Birkett Memorial Lecture at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) shone a spotlight on the new concept of e-liability accounting.

E-liability accounting enables entities to generate real-time, accurate, and auditable data on direct and supplier emissions, including those from their products and services.

Aimed at transforming greenhouse gas reporting, the approach could aid consumers to consider environmental sustainability in their purchasing decisions, driving carbon reduction through dynamic competition.

Held on 12 November 2024, the lecture featured professor Robert Kaplan, who developed co-developing ‘Activity-Based Costing’ and the ‘Balanced Scorecard’, introducing e-liability accounting as a new solution to the challenges of environmental reporting.

During the lecture, Professor Kaplan emphasised the potential of e-liability accounting to provide real-time, accurate, and auditable emissions data.

This approach aims to empower consumers to make environmentally conscious purchasing decisions and stimulate companies to reduce their carbon footprint through market competition.

Chevron Australia Energy Transition general manager David Fallon discussed the company’s practical experience with e-liability accounting.

He also highlighted its significance in promoting a lower carbon future and shared insights from Chevron’s pilot implementation of the system.

The lecture, hosted by UNSW’s School of Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, was moderated by Elysse Morgan of Stafford Capital Partners and former host of ABC’s The Business.

It served as a platform to honour the legacy of Professor Bill Birkett, whose contributions to management accounting research and education in Australia are widely revered.

Following his retirement from UNSW, he served as the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Business and the Creative Arts at James Cook University, Townsville, until his passing in 2004. The memorial lecture continues to celebrate his impact on the field.