ICAS

Quicklinks

  1. About Us

    Find out about who we are and what we do here at ICAS.

  2. Find a CA

    Search our directory of individual CAs and Member organisations by name, location and professional criteria.

  3. CA Magazine

    View the latest issues of the dedicated magazine for ICAS Chartered Accountants.

  4. Contact Us

    Get in touch with ICAS by phone, email or post, with dedicated contacts for Members, Students and firms.

Login
  • Annual renewal
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Find a CA
  1. About us
    1. Governance
    2. ICAS Strategy 2030
  2. Members
    1. Become a member
    2. Newly qualified
    3. Manage my membership
    4. Benefits of membership
    5. Career support
    6. Mentoring
    7. CA Wellbeing
    8. More for Members
    9. Area networks
    10. International communities
    11. Get involved
    12. Top Young CAs
    13. Career breaks
    14. ICAS podcast
    15. Newly admitted members 2022
    16. Newly admitted members 2023
  3. CA Students
    1. Student information
    2. Student resources
    3. Learning requirements
    4. Learning updates
    5. Learning blog
    6. Totum Pro | Student discount card
    7. CA Student wellbeing
  4. Become a CA
    1. How to become a CA
    2. Routes to becoming a CA
    3. CA Stories
    4. Find a training agreement
    5. Why become a CA
    6. Qualification information
    7. University exemptions
  5. Employers
    1. Become an Authorised Training Office
    2. Resources for Authorised Training Offices
    3. Professional entry
    4. Apprenticeships
    5. Learning redefined
  6. Find a CA
  7. ICAS events
    1. CA Summit
  8. CA magazine
  9. Insight
    1. Finance + Trust
    2. Technology
    3. Finance + EDI
    4. Finance + Mental Fitness
    5. Finance + Leadership
    6. Finance + Sustainability
  10. Professional resources
    1. Anti-money laundering
    2. Audit and assurance
    3. Brexit
    4. Business and governance
    5. Charities
    6. Coronavirus
    7. Corporate and financial reporting
    8. Cyber security
    9. Ethics
    10. Insolvency
    11. ICAS Research
    12. Pensions
    13. Practice
    14. Public sector
    15. Sustainability
    16. Tax
  11. CPD - professional development
    1. CPD - Everything you need to know
    2. CPD courses and qualifications
    3. CPD news and updates
    4. CPD support and advice
    5. Career support
  12. Regulation
    1. Complaints and sanctions
    2. Regulatory authorisations
    3. Guidance and help sheets
    4. Regulatory monitoring
  13. CA jobs
    1. CA jobs partner: Rutherford Cross
    2. Resources for your job search
    3. Advertise with CA jobs
    4. Hays | A Trusted ICAS CA Jobs Partner
    5. Azets | What's your ambition?
  14. Work at ICAS
    1. Business centres
    2. Meet our team
    3. Benefits
    4. Vacancies
    5. Imagine your career at ICAS
  15. Contact us
    1. Technical and regulation queries
    2. ICAS logo request

Accounting bodies call on profession to address climate change

We are calling on accountants to take action on climate change
  • LinkedIn (opens new window)
  • Twitter (opens new window)

25 February 2020

Key points:

  • 13 chief executives representing 14 accounting bodies have signed a call to action in response to climate change. The bodies represent over 2.5 million accountants and students globally.
  • The statement includes eight actions which accountants, and the accounting bodies, are committing to take.
  • The accounting profession can play a significant role in achieving both climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The world’s accountants must put their skills to use to help businesses fight climate change, the UK’s top accounting bodies have said.

As part of The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S) Accounting Bodies Network, which collectively represents over 2.5 million accountants worldwide, the five major UK based accounting bodies are today publishing a declaration calling on the profession to put sustainability and the fight against climate change at the forefront of its work.

The accounting bodies said their members had a critical role to play to help effect meaningful change because of their expertise with advising businesses about risk management and their responsibility to act in the public interest.

Tackling climate change needs practical measurement and management, and accountants are key to helping businesses build sustainability into their working practices, commercial relationships and supply chains, the accountancy leaders explained. This is particularly important with the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) scheduled to take place in the UK this year.

An accountant’s role should demonstrate the risks to business posed by climate change, such as the impact of flooding or the effect of drought on the price of crops needed in the supply chain.

J Bruce Cartwright, Chief Executive of ICAS, said:

“There are dramatic implications for failing to tackle climate change – environmental, social and economic. It is our future that is at risk, and the urgency at which we are required to act must remain front of mind.”

“ICAS is working with fellow accountancy bodies to act now to limit the negative effects of climate change. As a profession we can do this by utilising our professional skills and expertise to support the organisations that we work with to tackle the climate crisis. Our individual actions, collectively, have the ability to make a difference.”

The Call to Action asks accountants across the world to:

  • integrate climate change risk into organisational strategy, finance, operations, and communications.
  • support sustainable decision-making
  • provide sound advice and services.

As part of the Call to Action, the global accounting bodies have pledged to provide support to help their members fulfil this role.

Accountants have a crucial role to play in the fight against climate change because:

  • the transition to a net zero carbon economy will rely on adapting economic policy and associated market mechanisms. Accounting practices are central to achieving both.
  • accountants must act on economic, social and business risks, and climate change is one of the biggest we face.
  • professional accountants have a responsibility to act in the public interest, which must now include helping organisations to address climate change.

More information

In the UK the accountancy body chief executives who have signed up to the statement are:

  • Mark Farrar, Chief Executive, AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians)
  • Helen Brand OBE, Chief Executive, ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)
  • Barry Melancon, CEO, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the unified voice of AICPA and CIMA)
  • Michael Izza, Chief Executive, ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales)
  • J Bruce Cartwright, Chief Executive, ICAS (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland)

The full list of global bodies which have signed up to the Call to Action is:

  • 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)
  • International Federation of Accountants
  • Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (JICPA)
  • Regnskap Norge/Accounting Norway

Read the full Call to Action: www.accountingforsustainability.org/abn-climate-action

Accountants unite on issue of climate change

By Anne Adrain

25 February 2020

2023-05-charlestyrwhitt 2023-05-charlestyrwhitt

Footer links

  • Contact us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Modern slavery statement
  • Privacy notice
  • CA magazine

Connect with ICAS

  • Facebook (opens new window) Facebook Icon
  • Twitter (opens new window) Twitter Icon
  • LinkedIn (opens new window) LinkedIn Icon
  • Instagram (opens new window) Instagram Icon

ICAS is a member of the following bodies

  • Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (opens new window) Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies logo
  • Chartered Accountants Worldwide (opens new window) Chartered Accountants Worldwide logo
  • Global Accounting Alliance (opens new window) Global Accounting Alliance
  • International Federation of Accountants (opens new window) IFAC
  • Access Accountancy (opens new window) Access Acountancy

Charities

  • ICAS Foundation (opens new window) ICAS Foundation
  • SCABA (opens new window) scaba

Accreditations

  • ISO 9001 - RGB (opens new window)
© ICAS 2022

The mark and designation “CA” is a registered trade mark of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), and is available for use in the UK and EU only to members of ICAS. If you are not a member of ICAS, you should not use the “CA” mark and designation in the UK or EU in relation to accountancy, tax or insolvency services. The mark and designation “Chartered Accountant” is a registered trade mark of ICAS, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and Chartered Accountants Ireland. If you are not a member of one of these organisations, you should not use the “Chartered Accountant” mark and designation in the UK or EU in relation to these services. Further restrictions on the use of these marks also apply where you are a member.

Our cookie policy

ICAS.com uses cookies which are essential for our website to work. We would also like to use analytical cookies to help us improve our website and your user experience. Any data collected is anonymised. Please have a look at the further information in our cookie policy and confirm if you are happy for us to use analytical cookies: