Corporate Controllers Target EU Green Mandates Ahead of SEC (1)

Corporate controllers are bracing for a massive shift in financial reporting as companies face new mandates to disclose their environmental impact to investors.

With just a few years to gear up for new reporting requirements, controllers are on the front lines getting ready for fresh scrutiny of disclosures about carbon commitments and water usage—details that for years were tucked discreetly into voluntary reports. European companies face reporting on sustainability issues including bio-diversity and land use under rules that took effect this year and the US securities regulator adopted more narrow regulations for greenhouse gas emission disclosures Wednesday.

To prepare, accounting ...