BIODIVERSITY ACCOUNTING AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT DISCLOSURE: EVIDENCE FROM CRUISE INDUSTRY

This study investigates the accountability of cruise corporations regarding their impact on marine biodiversity. Specifically, it explores the linkages between waste management practices on-board cruise ships and marine biodiversity. This study also considers the role of new technologies and renewable resources as enablers in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG#14) defined in the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda. Therefore, under the lens of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework and stakeholder and legitimacy theories, this study analyzes issues that are still under-researched in the literature. This study deepens biodiversity accounting through the analysis of sustainability reports published by major cruise corporations that aim to gain legitimacy from stakeholders about their behaviors in mitigating climate changes. Therefore, this study analysis the content of the biodiversity disclosure of the major cruise corporations in the cruise industry. Through a systematic content analysis, this study deeps cruise corporations’ sustainability reports and websites published from 2018 to 2022. The results higlight the cruise industry’s commitment to waste management initiatives for marine biodiversity protection. This study is the inaugural exploration of waste management strategies within the cruise industry, specifically focusing on their role in safeguarding marine biodiversity