ICAS becomes first accountancy institute to sign up to HRH Prince of Wales’ Terra Carta
ICAS (The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland) has become the first accountancy institute in the world to sign up to HRH The Prince of Wales’ ‘Terra Carta’ – a charter that aims to put sustainability at the heart of the private sector.
The Terra Carta, which forms part of HRH’s Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) and launched in January 2021, provides a roadmap to 2030 for businesses to build a sustainable future.
The charter outlines nearly 100 actions for business as the foundation of a recovery plan that puts nature, people and the planet at the centre of global value creation.
It is based on a series of recommendations by a coalition of global business leaders in almost every sector.
ICAS has pledged to support the Terra Carta as part of its ambitious strategy to integrate sustainability into all aspects of its operations.
HRH The Prince of Wales said: “The more companies that sign up to the Terra Carta, the greater its capability will be to drive the change we so desperately need. I can only encourage more people to join this urgent call to arms.”
J Bruce Cartwright CA, ICAS Chief Executive, said:
“HRH The Prince of Wales has made an extraordinary contribution to sustainability for many years, and it is a privilege to pledge our support to the Terra Carta.
“ICAS has an ambition to put sustainability at the heart of everything that we do – from the education that we provide to our students, to our work with our 22,000 members around the world.
“We also recognise the transformative role that chartered accountants have in delivering the actions of the Terra Carta, to bring about lasting change as we seek to build a more sustainable world.
“As the first accountancy body in the world, it is an honour to now become the first accountancy institute to join the Terra Carta.”
As part of our commitment to the public interest, there is an expectation that ICAS should, as an organisation, operate for societal good. There is also an expectation that ICAS will demonstrate the very values that we seek to advocate.
The ICAS Sustainability Strategy is focused on three main areas: climate change, public trust, and equality, diversity and inclusion. These are all key priorities for society, the profession and business. ICAS reports on some of the ways in which we have attempted to align our financial and operational activities with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
