Accountancy Europe has been calling for the shift to a sustainable economy for many years. Our work in this area includes, contributing to the sustainable finance agenda, exploring green taxes, ending greenwashing with better non-financial reporting and shifting to sustainable corporate governance. We are pleased to join our voice to many other global accountancy bodies to reiterate their call within our profession and beyond. Change needs to start now!

The call for action organised by The Prince of Wales’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S) has been signed by 13 chief executives representing 14 accounting bodies, members of the Accounting Bodies Network (ABN).

Climate change is an economic, social and business risk – a risk that accountants from across the world must take action on. Professional accountants have a responsibility to act in the public interest. This responsibility now includes taking action to address climate change. We call upon our members to play their part.

The statement lists four clear actions for accountants:

• Provide sound advice and services as organisations, capital markets, and governments develop and implement plans for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• Use and implement existing and developing reporting frameworks such as those from the International Integrated Reporting Council and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.
• Contribute to the efforts of the organisations they work with to integrate climate change risk into organisational strategy, finance, operations, and communications.
• Support sustainable decision making within the organisations they work for by allocating budgets and resources, and by developing high quality and timely information and insights through measurement and disclosure, built on robust and transparent accounting systems.

As the umbrella organisation representing the accountancy profession across Europe, we commit to:

• Provide our members with the training, support and infrastructure they need to apply their skills to the challenge.
• Support relevant market-based policy initiatives and incentives, consistent and well-considered regulation, and more useful disclosure.
• Provide sound advice to help governments to create the policy and regulatory infrastructure necessary for a just transition to a net zero carbon economy.

Global bodies that have signed up to the call to action:

• Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)
• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
• Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the unified voice of AICPA and CIMA)
• Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ)
• Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI)
• Consiglio Nazionale dei Dottori commercialistie degli Esperti Contabili (CNDCEC)
• CPA Australia
• CPA Canada
• Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer in Deutschland e.V. (IDW)
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)
• Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (JICPA)
• Regnskap Norge/Accounting Norway

Supported by:

• Accountancy Europe
• International Federation of Accountants (IFAC)

Find out more on the campaign are here and further details on the ABN can be found here.

#OurClimateCounts