Impact of mandatory greenhouse gas inventory policy on carbon accounting adoption: The role of top management perception

TRAN THI PHUONG LAN

University of Finance – Marketing; Email: [email protected]

Abstract

This study aims to explore the mediating role of top management perception in transforming the pressure from mandatory greenhouse gas inventory policies into the decision to adopt carbon accounting in Vietnamese enterprises. Using a multiple case study method, the research conducted 15 in-depth interviews with senior executives at 14 enterprises subject to mandatory inventory requirements. The results indicate that regulatory pressure does not directly lead to the strategic adoption of carbon accounting. Instead, top management perception plays a decisive role, channeling corporate responses into two streams: one group views the policy as a “compliance burden” and reacts defensively, while the other interprets it as a “strategic opportunity,” proactively investing in an integrated carbon accounting system. This finding has significant implications, suggesting that policymakers must move beyond mere regulation to influence managerial perceptions, while enterprises need to proactively shift their mindset to turn compliance into a competitive advantage.

Keywords: Carbon accounting, greenhouse gas inventory, upper echelons theory, top management perception

(The article was published in the Vietnam Economic & Financial Review, Vol. 2, Issue 1, February 2026)

For more details, please click here