The road to recovery: Sustainability imperatives and the reshaping of public finance and accounting in the post-pandemic world

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted global economies, social structures, and public finance systems, exposing vulnerabilities in essential services and exacerbating inequalities. This special issue explores the intersection of sustainability imperatives and the reshaping of public finance and accounting in the post-pandemic world. The contributions critically examine whether, and how, accounting can address the challenges posed by the pandemic while advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.​ Key topics include the role of accounting discourses in reshaping stakeholder relationships through accountability narratives, the integration of SDGs into public financial management, the impact of economic fluctuations on healthcare budgeting, the financialization of housing policy, trade credit dynamics during crises, the evolution of social investment practices, and the role of foreign direct investment in infrastructure development. In this editorial, we discuss how the articles highlight both the transformative potential of accounting and financial management in fostering sustainable development, as well as tensions in accounting’s role in perpetuating inequalities and democratic deficiencies in ‘official’ accounting narratives. We also outline areas for further research, including greater depth and diversity in studies of public accounting practices, exploration of novel accounting technologies in making outcomes and systemic issues more visible, challenging the epistemic authority of unsustainable practices and collaborating with communities to build authentic alternatives.