Numbers meet nature, profits meet purpose: a story of growth and hope / Nuraisyah Fitrie Abdullah and Azmira Abdullah

It was a bright, sunny morning when Fitrie entered her classroom with a small potted plant in her hands. Her students exchanged puzzled looks as she held it up. “What if I told you this plant is worth thousands of dollars?” she asked with a playful smile. The class burst into laughter. “Come on, Miss Fitrie, it’s just a plant!” one student joked. But Fitrie was quick to respond. “Well,” she said, “this little plant cleans the air, produces oxygen, supports biodiversity, and even soothes your soul. If we calculated its true worth, it might just be priceless. And that’s where Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) comes into play.” That morning, Fitrie was not just teaching accounting; she was nurturing something deeper—awareness, hope, and a sense of purpose.