CASE STUDY
How the
number
crunchers
are going
green
Now that CSR reporting has become an integral part of a company's reports, what
measures are accountants taking to push CSR forward?
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) explains.
B
ACK IN the mid 1980s,
Going concern?
out for members to help explain and inform
before sustainable Sustainable development is a key issue for their roles within sustainable development
development was defi ned by the accountancy profession going forward. (SD). Issues to be covered include: How to
the Brundtland Commission, In response to this, ACCA has produced address CSR and SD issues; Best practice
the Association of Chartered Certifi ed its fi rst social and environmental policy methods for assessing and limiting likely
Accountants (ACCA) began to recognise document. Going Concern? spells out the costs of climate change adaptation; Elements
the impact social and environmental urgent steps needed to be taken both as a of the sustainability accounting framework:
issues could have on the accountancy profession and a professional body and Sustainability and integrated reporting;
profession. It was obvious that companies focuses on eight key areas. Uniquely for Sustainability report assurance and CSR for
and organisations would need to take an accountancy professional body, it also SMEs and their SMP advisers.
increasing responsibility for their social and states our organisational commitments, and ACCA will also ensure that SD and CSR
environmental impacts. As the potential of for ACCA members projects are in place to issues are incorporated into its lifelong
environmental issues was acknowledged ensure sustainable development issues are education, training and CPD processes and
and as stakeholder pressure and consumer incorporated into their lifelong education develop training modules for CPD in the
knowledge grew, companies adapted by processes. carbon disclosure and emissions trading area.
creating and measuring key performance ACCA's eight key social and
indicators for their environmental impacts. environmental policy areas are:
ACCA guidance booklets
This altered the focus on environmental 1. Sustainable development and corporate As part of its Going Concern? commitments,
issues and shifted the methods of company social responsibility ACCA has begun to publish a series of
and organisational reporting and 2. Corporate governance, strategy and briefi ng papers for its members. Each briefi ng
accounting. sustainability paper will provide an overview on a core
Understanding that the concept of 3. Climate change - how the accounting accounting discipline and explain how it
sustainable development is critical to society profession should respond is converging with sustainability, how this
and business, and that the accountancy 4. Accounting in practice convergence is relevant to the accounting
profession has an important role in defi ning 5. Sustainability reporting - recognising the profession and importantly the role of
and delivering the means by which imperative for transparency the accountant. The papers serve to be an
sustainable development is measured and 6. Audit and assurance - why credibility introductory guide (rather than a technical
reported, ACCA has been working in this matters paper) that aim to introduce the accountant
area for over 20 years. Since sponsoring 7. Education and training - what should the to the exciting changes to the profession
Prof Rob Gray's research, Greening the next generation of accountants learn? as sustainability becomes more material to
Accountancy Profession back in 1989, 8. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) businesses worldwide.
ACCA has developed a complex and - their role in the sustainability debate. The suite of ACCA member briefi ng
growing sustainability work programme. ACCA guidance booklets will be rolled papers will cover the following issues:
44 SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS April 2009
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