S11E8 - Ritwick Ghosh - Questioning the Accounting Impulse in Environmental Policy

Questioning the Accounting Impulse in Environmental Policy

Withers 331 + Zoom | Using a practice-centered approach to analyze the rise and implications of environmental accounting.

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Ritwick Ghosh, PhD

Assistant Professor of Environmental Governance at NC State University | Profile | LinkedIn Dr. Ritwick Ghosh is an Assistant Professor in Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University. Ritwick studies and teaches environmental governance, with expertise in the role of markets in advancing sustainable land practices. Ritwick is a deeply interdisciplinary scholar and contributes to the fields of political ecology and science and technology studies. Before joining NCSU, Ritwick held positions at the University of Denver, New York University, and Arizona State University. Ritwick received his Masters and PhD from Cornell University.

Abstract

Environmental accounting is increasingly a central theme in the sustainability discourse. Whether in the form of cost-benefit analysis, carbon disclosures, or economic valuation of nature, accounting is presented as a critical step toward improving policy processes and public accountability. Yet, this rise in environmental accounting has also sparked a critical debate within political ecology and science and technology studies (STS) on what is being counted and how accounting tools are reshaping environmental institutions. In this presentation, I draw on my past work on environmental market policies in the US and India to outline a practice-based approach to the study of environmental accounting. I hope to show that there is an important performative dimension to the accounting impulse. Measurement and quantification may enhance transparency, but at the same time, ever more elaborate forms of quantification also serve to delay, distract, and limit progressive environmental actions.

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The Genetic Engineering and Society (GES) Colloquium is a seminar series that brings in speakers to present and stimulate discussion on a variety of topics related to existing and proposed biotechnologies and their place within broader societal changes. GES Colloquium is jointly taught by Drs. Katie Barnhill and Nourou Barry, and we’re featuring a mostly student-led seminar series. Students will be taking the lead in identifying, inviting, and hosting most of the speakers, providing a great opportunity for them to build their networks and grow as professionals. To support their efforts, we encourage you to join our in-person seminars, which will now take place in Withers 331. Your presence makes a big difference in creating a supportive environment for our students. Remember, we regularly post colloquium seminars as videos on Panopto and on our GES Lectures podcast, allowing you to revisit or catch up on these recordings at your convenience. Please subscribe to the GES newsletter and LinkedIn for updates.

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