Theoretical and Methodological Foundations for Improving Environmental Cost Accounting

This study examines the economic substance of environmental costs and develops methodological approaches to their classification and accounting at enterprises. The study reviews Environmental Management Accounting (EMA), Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA), Activity-Based Costing (ABC), ISO 14051 and ISO 14007, as well as selected Japanese and European practices. A multidimensional classification of environmental costs is proposed according to environmental purpose, economic substance, relationship with production, environmental impact, resource type, and accounting object. The paper also develops an integrated model linking monetary information with physical flows of materials, energy, water, emissions, and waste. The proposed approach can improve cost allocation, product costing, resource-efficiency assessment, and management decision-making. The findings are particularly relevant to the adaptation of international environmental accounting practices to the institutional, regulatory, and technological conditions of Uzbekistan.