The Role of an Accountant’s Professional Ethics in Preventing Greenwashing

The growing role of ESG information in economic decision-making intensifies demands for its reliability, completeness, and impartiality, while simultaneously increasing the risk of greenwashing – the creation of a misleading impression regarding a company’s environmental performance. Under these conditions, the issue of not only external regulation and oversight but also internal mechanisms to prevent information distortion – specifically the professional ethics of the accountant directly involved in preparing such information – becomes increasingly relevant. This article aims to substantiate the role of an accountant’s professional ethics as an internal mechanism for preventing greenwashing in sustainability reporting. The research methodology relies on systemic and structural-functional approaches, employing methods such as analysis, systematization, classification, content analysis, comparison, and conceptual modeling. The study draws upon prior research, professional materials, and international ethical standards governing sustainability reporting assurance and the professional behavior of accountants. The research findings indicate that the key factors contributing to greenwashing include information asymmetry, the complexity of measuring non-financial indicators, the conflict between a company’s economic interests and transparency requirements, pressure from management and the organizational environment, and the inadequacy or perfunctory nature of external oversight. External mechanisms for countering greenwashing include legal and regulatory frameworks, sustainability reporting assurance, state oversight and supervision, market and public scrutiny, professional standards, and the institutional regulation of the accounting profession. At the same time, the professional ethics of accountants serve as an independent internal preventive mechanism; by upholding integrity, objectivity, professional competence, due care, and professional skepticism, this mechanism can prevent the distortion of ESG information at the very stage of its preparation. The article proposes a conceptual model that illustrates the interaction between accountants’ professional ethics and external greenwashing countermeasures; applying this model would help enhance the reliability of ESG data and trust in sustainability reporting.