Business organisations to become environmentally sustainable post Covid-19 : Survey

Mumbai, Oct.22 : Business organisations are going to become more environmentally sustainable and make more of a positive impact on society in the economic recovery from Covid-19, a  survey by the global body of
professional accountants, Association of Chartered Certified
Accountants(ACCA) said.

“About 95 per cent of 829 accountants and finance professionals
surveyed agreed that finance teams have a role to play in building a
more socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable future.”

Survey respondents agreed that professional accountants should be
involved in understanding social and environmental impacts and
dependencies, prioritising creating positive social impact alongside
financial returns and in improving risk management of social and
environmental issues.

“These findings come when around the world in 2020 we have seen
record-breaking temperatures, devastating fires and flooding, and the
severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic which has worsened existing
socio-economic inequalities and reinforced the fragilities of the
natural world,” said Sajid Khan, head of International Development,
ACCA India.

Accountants and finance professionals are also looking ahead at their
own skills and knowledge and are looking to develop knowledge in
social impact measurement and in sustainability data analytics.’

South Asia respondents also said having an understanding and
accounting for environmental dependencies and social impact was
important for organisations to build a greener and more inclusive
world.

Helen Brand, chief executive of ACCA said, “Businesses of all sizes
can use this moment to step forward and commit to making an
intentional, positive impact on society and the environment through
their activities. And for professional accountants, they can make
these commitments a reality.”

“Accountant have a huge role here, because it’s through professional
education that accountants can support the transition to a net-zero
carbon world. We’re committed to ensuring that sustainability and
green finance is an integral part of our world-class qualification and
members’ continuing professional development(CPD), supporting our
members with a range of new online learning offerings on these
important areas,” Brand said.

ACCA will be launching a programme of specific sustainability-related
CPD for its members in November.