In response to various pressures, businesses have begun to report externally on their environmental policy and performance. The significance of such external reporting depends on the extent of changes in management culture and systems and on how new measures influence management decisions. The 'greening of accountancy' involves a reappraisal of how to identify and measure the relevant costs of processes and products (such as 'Total Cost Assessment') and a redesign of incentive mechanisms. Through these changes managerial decisions and corporate behaviour may be refocussed towards the goal of achieving sustainable development, for example by pursuing a viable industrial ecology
