BIOGRAPHY AND RESEARCH IMPACT

Harjinder Singh is an Associate Professor of Accounting at Curtin University whose work advances sustainability, accountability and public policy through applied accounting research and engagement. His contribution focuses on accounting and reporting structures that support regulatory and policy implementation in climate-related financial reporting, carbon accounting, natural capital accounting and sustainability assurance, supporting the transition to a net-zero and nature-positive economy.

His work is explicitly policy-facing and implementation-oriented, addressing the operational and governance challenges organisations encounter in responding to mandatory climate and sustainability disclosure regimes. He works directly with governments, regulators, standard-setters, industry and international partners to strengthen the credibility, consistency and assurance of sustainability reporting. This includes sustained expert contributions to the development and refinement of climate and sustainability reporting standards, assurance frameworks and regulatory reforms in Australia and internationally.

Harj has established a strong national and international research profile in accounting, auditing and accountability, with sustained publications in leading journals and a consistent record of engagement through Cooperative Research Centres and industry-funded programs. His recent research has centred on carbon accounting, biodiversity measurement and natural capital accounting, including large collaborative projects that integrate environmental and economic data to support corporate and public-sector reporting and governance. A defining characteristic of this work is its direct alignment with regulatory, professional and policy implementation needs, ensuring that research outcomes inform practice rather than remaining conceptual.

Engagement is a core strength of Harj’s academic leadership. He has led and contributed to large-scale executive education and capacity-building programs for government, industry and international development partners, including multi-year programs delivered under Australia Awards and the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade-funded initiatives. These activities focus on building institutional capability in climate finance, carbon accounting, sustainability reporting and assurance particularly in jurisdictions and sectors facing complex regulatory and development challenges. His engagement and executive education work has been recognised by Curtin University as contributing directly to the University’s sustainability strategy and its broader commitment to people, planet and partnerships.

Alongside his research and engagement leadership, Harj provides strategic educational leadership aligned with emerging regulatory and professional requirements. In recognition of his standing in sustainability accounting and reporting, he has been invited to design and lead the development of a new Masters-level unit, ACCT6008 Sustainability Accounting and Reporting, commencing in 2027. Developed from first principles, the unit is designed to equip graduates with the technical, governance and assurance capabilities required under mandatory climate and sustainability reporting regimes, strengthening Curtin’s postgraduate offering in this strategically important area.

Harjinder has held senior academic leadership and service roles, including Director of Graduate Research and discipline leadership appointments, and has been recognised for excellence in higher degree research supervision. He contributes to the accounting profession through editorial leadership, standards-setting committees and expert advisory panels, supporting the quality, integrity and impact of accounting research, regulation and professional practice.

Through his integrated research, engagement and educational leadership, Harjinder’s work positions Curtin University as a credible contributor to the development and implementation of sustainability accounting, reporting and assurance systems, supporting institutional, regulatory and societal responses to climate change, biodiversity loss and broader sustainability challenges.

 

Awards/Honours

• Internationalisation Award - Faculty of Business & Law Research Award. 2025;
• Higher Degrees by Research Supervisor of the Year. Faculty of Business & Law Research Award. 2022;
• Outstanding Reviewer Award. AFAANZ Conference. 2020;
• Vernon Zimmerman Best Paper Award - 24th Asian Pacific Conference on International Accounting Issues, Hawaii, USA. October, 2012;
• Vernon Zimmerman Best Paper Award - 18th Asian Pacific Conference on International Accounting Issues, Hawaii, USA. October, 2006; and
• Top student in the Master of Accounting research programme at The University of Western Australia, 2007 with a CWA in excess of 80%.
• External Certificate of Appreciation - Outstanding Educator. CPA Australia. 2021 and 2022.
• Teaching and Learning Awards. 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016 before awards discontinued in 2017.

 

Memberships

Member, Australian Accounting Standards Board’s Climate Research’s Climate Research Expert List;

Fellow, Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand. 2017 to present;

Member, American Accounting Association. 2011 to present; and

Member, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand. 2008 to present.

 

LEADERSHIP ROLES

Member, Faculty Research Committee. 2023 to 2024;

Discipline Lead – School of Accounting, Economics and Finance. 2022 to 2023;

Director, Graduate Research, School of Accounting, Economics and Finance. 2021 to 2024;

Member, Faculty Graduate Studies Committee. 2021 to 2024;

Chair, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Working Group, SiBL, FBL. 2021 to 2022;

Sustainability in Business and Law, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Working Group Representative working towards ERS practices in FBL. 2021;

Completion, UTS micro-credentialing - Supervising Indigenous Higher Degree Research. 2021;

Member, Supervising Doctoral Studies Online training – University Review Group. Assessment of the Epigeum Supervising Doctorate Studies modules. 2021;

Co-Lead, IPKCC Sub-committee, Accounting Learning and Teaching Committee. 2020 to 2022;

Member, Sustainability in Business Council. Faculty of Business and Law. 2020 to 2021;

Deputy member, Academic Board involved in university governance. 2019 to 2021;

Deputy Discipline Lead, School of Accounting. 2018 to 2019;

Head of Department, Auditing, Assurance and Accounting Technologies responsible for all aspects of line management for 11 staff members. 2011 to 2017; and

Acting Head of School, Accounting. July to Dec 2015.

 

ENGAGEMENT

 

Major External Engagement Roles

Facilitated a two-day Masterclass providing a deep dive into the methodologies, tools, and best practices essential for understanding, managing and reporting carbon footprints effectively. With mandatory reporting requirements on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) now in place effective January 2025, industry is seeking expertise to develop the required skills for managing their GHG emissions. The Masterclass was attended by a varied cohort consisting chief financial officers, policy managers, accountants, finance specialists, regulators, environmental and greenhouse gas scientists and environmental advisors, demonstrating the universal need for developing carbon accounting competencies in global efforts to reduce GHG emissions. 8 May and 11 June

One-day Masterclass on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks and opportunities, including ESG disclosures and reporting, assurance and verification processes. 07 November.

Two-day Masterclass on Carbon Accounting: Measurement, Reporting and Verification of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. 12 September and 10 October.

Future of Mining Asia 2024. Getting the ‘E’ in ESG right - Measuring your carbon footprint and implementing effective mitigation and reduction strategies. The face-to-face workshop was attended by sustainability practitioners from Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, China, India and Nepal, demonstrating the importance of building capacity across multiple countries to develop robust measurement, reporting and verification mechanisms for global carbon emissions reporting. 17-18 September. Singapore.

Jointly developed an industry event via public forums, hosted over three months ending 2024, examining critical aspects of each component of Environment, Social and Governance. The series, titled “ESG Evolutions: How to Respond and Change”, was a collaboration with the Curtin Centre for Applied Ethics and the Stan Perron Dean of Applied Ethics. Details of the forums are as follows:

1. Forum 1, 26 September 2024 titled “Mandatory Climate Reporting, What You Need to Know” was presented by Harj Singh;
2. Forum 2, 23 October 2024 titled “The Human Side to the Energy Transition: Spotlighting the “S” in ESG” involved Harj Singh as a panel member; and
3. Forum 3, 14 November 2024 titled “WA & The Future of Critical Minerals: Getting Governance Right” was presented by Harj Singh.

The series provided an ideal opportunity to showcase FBL research to external stakeholders, encourage impactful and high-quality research and educate stakeholders on the role of business in climate change mitigation.

Mines and Environment Net Zero Conference 2024 Presenter. ESG Risks in Supply Chains: A Blind Spot for the Energy Transition. 22 August, Perth.

Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) Symposium where my work (with a colleague) on an Australian-first research project identifying data, capability and systems needed to adopt NCA was publicly released. This project, funded by the TiMECRC, involved the development of an NCA framework for the mining sector in Australia in response to increasing calls to better understand, account for and disclose changes in natural capital over time. The NCA project is the culmination of 18 months of work with project partners BHP, Alcoa, Hanson, Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute as well as Curtin University, Murdoch University, the University of South Australia and Syrinx. 17 July.

Appointed to the Australian Accounting Standards Board’s (AASB) Climate Research’s Climate Research Expert List in 2024. This role involves assessing stakeholder feedback on the Australian Climate Related Financial Disclosure Standards Exposure Draft before drafting the final mandatory Climate Reporting Standards, and influencing the future research agenda of the AASB. This important appointment will shape the future reporting and disclosure requirements of the climate related and sustainability landscape in Australia.

1.5 day Executive Education Masterclass in 2023/24 on Carbon Accounting, Measurement and Reporting of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. This oversubscribed Masterclass provided practical step by step guidance helping participants develop both the 1) technical knowledge and 2) critical skills around carbon emissions accounting, measurement, valuation and reporting resulting in the generation of an organisational carbon footprint and National Greenhouse Gas Inventory;

Chair, AFAANZ Corporate Governance Technical Committee. 2023;

Advisory Panel Board meetings, Accounting Discipline. 2022;

Selection Panel, AFAANZ Research Grants 2022;

External expert grant reviewer for the Xi’an Jiaoting-Liverpool University in China. 2021;

 

Major Internal Engagement Roles

Hang Seng University Hong Kong-Curtin Alliance – Co-supervision of a Hang Seng University PhD student, a Faculty of Business & Law strategic international partner. 2022 to 2024

‘One Curtin’ goal – Curtin Mauritius. Co-supervision of an academic colleague from Curtin Mauritius enrolled in a PhD programme. 2021 to 2024

‘One Curtin’ goal – Staff Mentoring Pilot Program Global Campuses. Mentee from Curtin Dubai. 2021 to 2022

Aberdeen-Curtin Alliance – University of Aberdeen. Co-supervision of a PhD student with an academic colleague from the Aberdeen Business School, a strategic international partner. 2021 to 2024

Member, Selection Panel for School of Management and Marketing. 2022

Academic Representative, National Indigenous Business Summer School WA Competition. 2021

Member, Research Working Group, School of Accounting, Economics and Finance. 2021 to 2024;

Member, Sustainability in Business Council. Faculty of Business and Law. 2020 to 2021

Participation in the Staff Mentoring Program (Curtin University). Being mentor for a junior colleague

from People and Culture. 2020;

Academic paper Reviewer for the School 2nd Global Chinese Accounting Association (GCAA) Summit,

Nanjing, China, 2-3 November 2019;

Member, Curtin Business School Strategic Review Board. 2012 to 2016;

Member, Curtin Business School Staff Development Committee. 2012 to 2016;

Member, School Conference Committee. 2012 to 2017;

Member, Research & Innovation Committee. 2010 to 2020;

Member, School Learning &Teaching Committee. 2010 to 2015;

Chairperson of the Thesis Committee of more than 17 School of Accounting PhD students. 2010 to present;

Member, Student Liaison Committee. 2010 to 2011;

Mentor, New academic staff in the School. 2010 to 2020; and

Coordinator, Seminar Series. 2009 to 2010.