Mapping the evolution of carbon accounting and disclosure research through bibliometric analysis

The intensifying implications of climate change have brought carbon accounting and disclosure to the forefront of policy and scholarly debate, generating an emerging research field that examines its multidimensional nature. Despite the growing body of literature, existing studies remain fragmented and fail to provide a consolidated understanding of the field’s development. This research addresses that gap by conducting a bibliometric examination of 715 Scopus-indexed articles published between 1992 and 2025. Using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer, the study uncovers prominent publication trends, leading authors, and thematic trajectories in carbon accounting research. The results reveal a consistent increase in scholarly output over time, with China identified as the highest contributing nation and journals such as the Journal of Cleaner Production and Sustainability (Switzerland) recognized as the most productive publishing outlets. The most productive author is found to be Professor Tang Q of Western Sydney University. Thematic mapping and co-occurrence analysis highlight six dominant research clusters: Corporate Environmental Disclosure and Performance; Life Cycle and Emission Analysis; Climate Policy and Forest Carbon Sequestration; Technological and Emerging Themes in Carbon Management; Accounting and Methodological Approaches; and Carbon Disclosure, Sustainability, and Regional Empirical Synthesis. This study provides valuable insights into the intellectual structure and thematic evolution of carbon accounting and disclosure research, while offering directions for future inquiry and informing policy discussions in the field.