Sustainable Public Value Inscriptions: A Critical Approach

This is a theoretical paper that uses previous work (Dumay at al., 2010) to argue for sustainable public value. The study critically reviews the latest Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines and argues for a normative approach by using Gray's (2006) ecological and eco-justice (EEJ) framework in order to produce public value inscriptions of sustainability to represent sustainable public value. The authors observe that the GRI continues to develop while scant attention is paid to furthering the draft Supplement for Public Agencies, which remains in its pilot form since its inception in 2005. The GRI is considered to be a global framework for metrics and reporting around social, environmental, policy impact, operational and governance issues. Recent changes to the GRI are somewhat enlightening because several of the adjustments begin to address a more comprehensive view of how any organization, including public agencies, can contribute to an EEJ approach to sustainability. If guidelines continue to approach sustainability from a ‘managerialistic’ perspective then there is little hope of public sector agencies adopting EEJ practices.