Determinants of Blue Accounting Disclosure Adoption Among Corporations: A Scoping Review

Water-related resources are increasingly critical to corporate sustainability, yet many businesses struggle to account for their marine impacts effectively. Blue accounting has emerged as a tool to improve corporate transparency and responsible water stewardship, especially concerning marine ecosystems. This study conducts a scoping review to identify factors influencing corporations' adoption of blue accounting disclosures. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, 109 studies were initially screened, with 18 peer-reviewed articles selected for final analysis. Results reveal that stakeholder pressure, climate action, competitive positioning, and alignment with sustainability goals, especially SDG 14, are key enablers of adoption. However, major barriers include the lack of a standardised reporting framework, limited regulatory mandates, and institutional and technical capacity constraints. The review highlights the strategic use of blue accounting as a signalling mechanism, while also cautioning against superficial “blue-washing.” It concludes that targeted policy interventions, capacity building, and globally harmonised standards are essential for improving disclosure quality and corporate accountability in marine sustainability. This review contributes to the literature by mapping current evidence, identifying adoption drivers and barriers, and proposing directions for empirical research and policy development.