A Case Study to Teach Accounting for Sustainability

In May 2015, Pope Francis released an encyclical letter on climate, sustainability, and the environment called Laudato Si (Praised Be) calling on the Catholic church to address climate change, sustainability and CSR as moral issues that must be addressed to protect Earth, its natural resources, and the poor who are exploited by rich nations hoarding natural resources. Those not supporting his call to protect society from these risks are sinners. Using a descriptive case study, this paper’s purpose is to examine a pedagogy for teaching sustainability in an accounting course. The goal of the course is to raise students’ sustainability conscience, to empower them to embrace “how ought we to live,” an ethical sustainable existence, and to inspire them to take leadership roles through the power of one in their organizations to fulfill Pope Francis’ call to action.