Aideen O'Dochartaigh

Dr.

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Dr O’Dochartaigh joined DCU Business School in 2020 as Assistant Professor in Accounting. She is an expert in sustainability accounting and responsible business.

Aideen's research is interdisciplinary in nature and incorporates environmental social and governance (ESG) reporting practice and regulation, carbon accounting and budgeting, the circular economy and the bioeconomy. She has published in leading international academic and professional journals including MIT Sloan Management Review, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal and Environmental Research Letters. Her work has transdisciplinary impact on industry, society and policy; she has published high-impact research reports and regularly provides opinion pieces and invited comment on sustainability to national and international media.

Aideen previously qualified as a chartered accountant (FCA), training in practice with Deloitte Ireland, and completed her PhD on sustainability accounting at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She serves on a pro bono basis on the An Taisce Climate Committee and works on a voluntary basis with several climate and social justice community groups and NGOs in Ireland.

Peer Reviewed Journal

Year Publication
2025 Orlagh Reynolds; Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Enrico Secchi; Donna Marshall; Andy Prothero (2025) 'Framing innovation success, failure, and transformation: a systematic literature review'. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 42 (1):194-219. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12706
2024 Barry McMullin; Paul Price; Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2024) 'Defining a 'Paris Test' of national contribution to global climate mitigation: the Irish exemplar'. Environmental Research Letters, 19 (4). [DOI]
2023 Rebecca Maughan; Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2023) 'New boundaries for sustainability accounting? A case study of multi-entity accounting and reporting in the agrifood sector'. ACCOUNTING AUDITING & ACCOUNTABILITY JOURNAL, 36 (9):418-445. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-10-2021-5520
2023 Donna Marshall; Aideen O’Dochartaigh; Andrea Prothero; Orlagh Reynolds; Enrico Secchi (2023) 'Are You Ready for the Bio-Circular Economy?'. Business Horizons, .
2023 Donna Marshall; Jakob Rehme; Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Stephen Kelly; Roshan Boojihawon; Daniel Chicksand (2023) 'Reporting controversial issues in controversial industries'. ACCOUNTING AUDITING & ACCOUNTABILITY JOURNAL, 36 (9):483-512. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-07-2020-4684
2022 Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2022) 'The regulation revolution: how firms can prepare for ESG disclosure requirements'. California Management Review, . https://cmr.berkeley.edu/2022/10/the-regulation-revolution-how-firms-can-prepare-for-esg-disclosure-requirements/
2022 Donna Marshall; Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Orlagh Reynolds; Andrea Prothero; Enrico Secchi (2022) 'Why Businesses Need to Embrace the Bioeconomy'. MIT Sloan Management Review, . https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/why-businesses-need-to-embrace-the-bioeconomy/
2019 Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2019) 'No more fairytales: A quest for alternative narratives of sustainable business'. ACCOUNTING AUDITING & ACCOUNTABILITY JOURNAL, 32 (5):1384-1413. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-11-2016-2796
2017 Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Rebecca Maughan (2017) 'Sustainability accounting and reporting at a sector level: mapping the terrain'. Accounting, Finance and Governance Review, 24 (1). https://doi.org/10.52399/001c.25491

Book Chapter

Year Publication
2023 V'cenza Cirefice; Sinéad Mercier; Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2023) 'Resistance to mining and pathways to a sustainable rural environment: Rewriting the maps' In: Rural Governance in the UK: Towards a Sustainable and Equitable Society. London : Routledge. https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/58603/1/9781000777116.pdf
2016 Rob Gray; Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Clemence Rannouu (2016) 'Organisational Effectiveness and Social and Environmental Accounting: Through the Past Darkly' In: Pioneers of Critical Accounting. London : Palgrave Macmillan. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/978-1-137-54212-0_4

Published Report

Year Publication
2024 Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Anna Pringle (2024) Carbon Budgets: Opportunities and Challenges for Irish Business. DCU Business School, . https://business.dcu.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CB-Report-online-Jun24.pdf
2023 Paul Price; Barry McMullin; Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2023) Carbon Budgets to Inform Climate Action: A society-wide, integrated GHG quota and accounting perspective. Climate Change Advisory Location, . https://www.climatecouncil.ie/councilpublications/councilworkingpaperseries/Paul%20R%20Price%20Working%20Paper%20No%2019.pdf

Other Journal

Year Publication
2020 Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2020) 'Accounting for Nature' Accountancy Ireland, 52 (5) :32-34. https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/docs/default-source/Publishing/accountancy-ireland-archive/accountancy-ireland-october-2020.pdf
2017 Rebecca Maughan; Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2017) 'Taking Sustainability Reporting to the Next Level' Accountancy Ireland, 49 (5) . https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/docs/default-source/Publishing/accountancy-ireland-archive/october-2017-accountancy-ireland.pdf?sfvrsn=4

Encyclopedia Entry

Year Publication
2022 Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2022) Sustainability Accounting. Abingdon: ENC https://www.routledge.com/Essential-Concepts-of-Environmental-Communication-An-A-Z-Guide/Brereton/p/book/9780367642020?srsltid=AfmBOorG9STH1rK22HHaLRBd4lcES5ZO1_e4GHvgGttyD0llz3ea6NUI

Conference Contribution

Year Publication
2025 Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Anna Pringle; Rebecca Maughan (2025) 47th Annual Congress of the European Accounting Association The Role of National Carbon Budgets in Accounting for Climate Change Luiss Guido Carli University, Italy, .
2024 Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2024) 2nd China ESG symposium Reporting will fix everything? Measuring real progress on corporate climate action Capital University of Economics and Business (CUEB), Beijing, .
2024 Jack Campbell; Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2024) Irish Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference Whither Social audit? Queens University Belfast, UK, .
2024 Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Anna Pringle; Rebecca Maughan (2024) 34th International Congress on Social & Environmental Accounting Research National Carbon Budgeting: a Participatory Architecture for Business Climate Action University of St Andrews, UK, .
2024 Jack Campbell; Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2024) Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research (CSEAR) Italy Conference Whither Social audit? Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy, .
2024 Rebecca Maughan; Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2024) Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Accounting Conference Sectoral sustainability accounting and reporting in the agrifood industry: Means without ends? University of Royal Holloway, London, UK, .
2023 Paul Price; Barry McMullin; Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2023) European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2023 Towards a net negative world: applying a rapid Paris Test to multi-gas national policy scenarios to assess and enable fair share 1.5C achievement Vienna, Austria, .
2023 Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Orlagh Reynolds; Donna Marshall; Andrea Prothero; Enrico Secchi (2023) International Association for Business Society Annual Conference This time it’s personal: Action learning in a sustainability research center University of Bath, UK, .
2023 Rebecca Maughan; Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2023) Irish Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference Sectoral sustainability reporting in the Agrifood Industry: Truth or Bullshit NUI Galway, .
2022 Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Paul Price; Barry McMullin (2022) 32nd Irish Environmental Researchers Colloquium (Environ 2022) Integrating business carbon accounting with target-aligned national emissions reduction pathways Ulster University, Belfast, UK, .
2022 Barry McMullin; Paul Price; Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Mike Jones; Alwyn McGeever; Paul Rice (2022) 2nd International Conference on Negative CO2 Emissions Assessing negative CO2 emissions potential at national level, constrained by the Paris temperature goals: case study of Ireland Goteburg, Sweden, .
2022 Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Paul Price; Barry McMullin (2022) Irish Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference Integrating. Irish Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference Maynooth University, .
2022 Paul Price; Barry McMullin; Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2022) 2nd International Conference on Negative CO2 Emissions Methane mitigation achievement, including agriculture, is crucial to limiting dependency on uncertain carbon dioxide removal in National carbon budgeting equitably meeting Paris goals Goteburg, Sweden, .
2021 Rebecca Maughan; Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2021) CSEAR FRANCE EMAN GLOBAL CONFERENCE Sector Level Sustainability Reporting in the Agrifood Industry: New Boundaries, Old Problems Universite de Nantes, France, .
2021 Orlagh Reynolds; Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Enrico Secchi; Donna Marshall; Andrea Prothero (2021) International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association (IPSERA) 2021 Online Conferen Framing the role of entrepreneur suppliers in the circular bioeconomy Online, .
2021 Aideen O'Dochartaigh; Orlagh Reynolds; Donna Marshall; Enrico Secchi; Andrea Prothero (2021) European Group for Organisational Studies Colloquium 2021 'I just can’t see the value your research adds': tensions and tension management strategies in sustainability network orchestration Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) (online), .
2021 (2021) 13th Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Accounting Conference Sector Level Sustainability Reporting in the Agrifood Industry: New Boundaries, Old Problems Innsbruck, Austria, .

Online Article

Year Publication
2020 Aideen O'Dochartaigh (2020) An Introduction to the Bioeconomy. ELEA https://www.ccj.ie/_files/ugd/fa495b_1a5928c7253741309d0930ee57596f97.pdf

Article

Year Publication
2025 Aideen O (2025) Should the State develop a terminal for liquefied natural gas?. ARTCL https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025/03/11/the-debate-should-the-state-develop-a-terminal-for-liquefied-natural-gas/
2024 Aideen O (2024) Decoy, dazzle, deny: how some businesses communicate around controversial issues. ARTCL https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2024/1008/1474028-companies-controversial-sectors-communication-corporate-social-responsibility/
2024 Aideen O (2024) Opinion: Regina Doherty comparing bike lanes to Berlin Wall a symptom of deeper divisions on climate. ARTCL https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2024/06/18/regina-doherty-comparing-bike-lanes-to-berlin-wall-a-symptom-of-deeper-divisions-on-climate/
2022 Aideen O (2022) How to keep the Government honest on climate change. ARTCL https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/how-to-keep-the-government-honest-on-climate-change-1.4790116
2021 Aideen O (2021) 'Carbon budgets alone will not bring reduced emissions'. ARTCL https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/1019/1254326-carbon-budget-ireland-emissions-accountability/
2021 Aideen O (2021) Shannon gas plan would make mockery of Irish climate goals. ARTCL https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/shannon-gas-plan-would-make-mockery-of-irish-climate-goals-1.4663349
Certain data included herein are derived from the © Web of Science (2025) of Clarivate. All rights reserved.

Professional Associations

Association Function From / To
Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland Fellow -

Honors and Awards

Date Title Awarding Body
25/04/2025 Second prize - Seventh Business Ethics Research Awards Pontificia Comillas University (Comillas ICADE) Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences and Bankinter Consumer Finance
01/10/2018 Postdoctoral Research Impact Award University College Dublin

Committees

Committee Function From / To
Development Perspectives -
An Taisce Climate Committee -
Dublin City Council Enterprise and Economic Development Strategic Policy Committee -
Irish Coalition for Business and Human Rights (ICBHR) -

Enterprise Engagement

Year Engagement Type Client Description
2023 Invited talk/presentation The Irish Times Positive Impacts 2023: Greenwashing and Compliance
2023 Invited talk/presentation Chartered Accountants Ireland Climate Action Plan Workshop
2022 Invited talk/presentation Chapter Zero Chapter Zero Expert Session: Approaching Regulation and Reporting
2022 Invited talk/presentation Techies Go Green Webinar - Be Prepared For What's Coming Next: EU & UK Sustainability Legislation and Its Impact
2022 Invited talk/presentation Chartered Accountants Ireland Addressing the Knowledge Gap – Climate Risks
2022 Invited talk/presentation Deloitte Deloitte Financial Reporting Conference 2022 panel: “Sustainability: the burning question - where to start?”
2020 Invited talk/presentation Irish Rural Link Webinar - The Value of the Irish Bioeconomy
2021 Invited talk/presentation Business in the Community Low Carbon Pledge Knowledge Session

Outreach Activities

Year Engagement Type Organisation Description
2025 Community-based research Business in the Community Ireland DCU-BITCI Climate Transition Scorecard project.
2024 Presentations/Talks to an external audience Irish Accounting and Finance Association IAFA Autumn Doctoral Seminar: Hello! Is anyone out there? Delivering real-world impact through your research
2022 Presentations/Talks to an external audience DCU Institute for Climate and Society DCU Institute for Climate and Society Annual Conference - What Corporate Climate Leadership looks like
2022 Community-based research Business in the Community Ireland PI on the IRC-funded project "Carbon Budgeting: Challenges and Opportunities for Irish Business", with BITCI as civil society partner.
2022 Presentations/Talks to an external audience Lynn Boylan MEP The Energy Charter Treaty and Climate Inaction
2021 Presentations/Talks to an external audience Earthworks COP26 panel - Oil and Gas Exports A Growing Methane Threat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=mpEU6koA5DE
2021 Presentations/Talks to an external audience Clare Environmental Network Webinar - Ennis Data Centre: a climate disaster waiting to happen
2020 Presentations/Talks to an external audience Friends of the Earth Seminar and Action Series: Resisting Mining and Fossil Fuel Projects
2021 Presentations/Talks to an external audience Development Perspectives Saolta Network Event
2021 Presentations/Talks to an external audience Stop Climate Chaos Good COP, Bad COP: Lessons from Glasgow
2021 Presentations/Talks to an external audience An Taisce An Taisce Talks Carbon Budgets: What are they and what do they mean for you?
2017 Educational Outreach/Public Engagement Not Here Not Anywhere Pro bono climate education and awareness raising

Media

Title Year Type Authors
Coalition makes gas storage facility a priority, despite climate scientists’ warnings over fossil fuels 2025 Newspaper article (Print) Caroline O'Doherty
Despite progress, State is ‘massively falling short’ of its carbon reduction targets 2024 Newspaper article (Print) Emmet Ryan
Mark Carney’s green alliance rides out stormy waters 2023 Newspaper article (Print) Patrick Temple-West
Code Red Podcast - Corporate Responsibilities 2023 Podcast Dave Robbins
Understanding the environmental cost of tech 2023 Newspaper article (Print) Jason Walsh
Agallamh - Buiséad charbóin 2022 Radio Interviews Aideen O'Dochartaigh
Hot Mess Episode 13 - The Iniskea Prospect 2022 Podcast Philip Boucher-Hayes
An Focal Scoir 2022 Television interview/panel discussion BBC Two Northern Ireland
Green Party unveils Bill to prevent Liquefied Natural Gas infrastructure 2022 Newspaper article (online) Business Plus
Splanc - An bhfuil geimhreadh crua romhainn? 2022 Radio Interviews Cuán Ó Flartharta
Reboot Republic - We Need Real Zero, Not Business as Usual: A View From Inside COP26 2021 Podcast Rory Hearne
'They are not frightened enough' – Irish academic criticises government leaders at Cop26 2021 Newspaper article (Print) Pádraig Hoare
Ryan hails COP26 progress as IFA says deal must be fair 2021 Television interview/panel discussion Colman O'Sullivan
Ireland joins group of countries working to phase out oil and gas exploration 2021 Newspaper article (online) Orla Dwyer
Not Here, Not Anywhere 2020 Podcast The Echo Chamber
Green shoots of a new kind of economy 2020 Newspaper article (Print) Ian Campbell
Sustaining Positive Changes - Business Post 2020 Newspaper article (Print) Quinton O'Reilly

Research Projects

Title Role Description Start date End date
“JUSt Transition in Ireland’s Circular Economy: Scaling and Supporting Irish Food and Fashion Resource Recovery DCU PI 01/03/2025 28/02/2029
Climate+Biodiversity+Water Co-Centre Funded Investigator Funded Investigator on Project 3.5: Mapping and Assessing Climate and Biodiversity Value Chain Risks 01/01/2024 31/12/2029
Tweet it like you mean it - GOIPG Application DCU PI 01/09/2024 31/08/2026
Carbon Budgeting: Challenges and Opportunities for Irish Business DCU PI 16/12/2022 15/09/2023
CCAC Fellowship 2020: Carbon Budgeting DCU Co-PI 18/01/2021 17/01/2023

Current Postgraduate Students

Student Name Degree Supervision
Campbell ,Jack PhD-track Supervisor
Galeb ,Hannan PhD-track Supervisor

Internal Collaborators

Type Name Company Role
Internal Dr. Diarmuid Torney Dublin City University Academic
Internal Dr. Jimmy O'Keeffe Dublin City University Academic

External Collaborators

Type Name Company Role
External Prof. Colm McLaughlin University College Dublin Academic
External Dr. Ross Cuthbert Queens University Belfast Academic
External Dr. Fabiola Schneider University College Dublin Academic
External Business in the Community Ireland Industry
External Dr. Rebecca Maughan University College Dublin Academic
External Dr. Orlagh Reynolds University College Cork Academic
External Dr. Enrico Secchi University College Dublin Academic
External Dr. Lisa Sheenan University College Dublin Academic
External Prof. Donna Marshall University College Dublin Academic

Teaching Interests

Aideen teaches across the accounting curriculum and has co-ordinated modules in Financial Accounting, Management Accounting, Corporate Governance and Sustainability Accounting. She developed the unique module Accounting for Sustainable Business which blends the latest research on sustainability accounting with insights from practice, industry and civil society.

Aideen is a member of the DCU Challenge-based Learning (CBL) committee and incorporates many innovations into her teaching including CBL, authentic assessment, use of simulations and business games.

She has taught on multiple undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in DCU including BA Accounting and Finance, Bachelor of Business Studies, BSc Common Entry into Actuarial and Financial Mathematics, MSc Accounting, MSc International Accounting and Business, MSc Management (Business) MSc Management (Strategy), MSc Management (Aviation Leadership), MSc Management for Sustainable Development, MSc Operations Management and MSc Green Technology.

Aideen is Programme Chair of the MSc International Accounting and Business. See the programme page for more information and how to apply: https://business.dcu.ie/course/msc-in-international-accounting-and-business/.

Modules Coordinated

Term Title Subject
2022 - present Accounting for Sustainable Business ACC1008
2021 - present Sustainable Operations - Sustainability Accounting MNA1022
2022 - present Financial Accounting Bootcamp ACC0000
2020 - present Research and Professional Portfolio ACC1029
2020 - 2021 Accounting 1 AC316
2020 Corporate Governance AC405
2020 Accounting for Business Decision Making AC570
2020 Financial Performance HR5120
2020 Management Accounting: Planning and Control AC130