The CEO’s of 10 of the world’s leading accountancy institutes have joined forces in calling for a profession-wide commitment to reverse nature loss.
Working together as part of the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA) the CEOs are signing the call to action ‘Nature is Everyone’s Business’ to signal the important role the profession can play in this crisis.
The group, that includes CIMA, ICAEW, ICAS and CAI, said: “We recognise that our planet is being impacted by a three-fold crisis of a climate emergency, dramatic nature loss and rising social inequality. Addressing these challenges will require integrated thinking as companies reallocate resources, reorient production and reimagine their business models. We all depend on nature, but it is the poorest in the world who are disproportionately affected by its loss and impacted by climate change. Protecting nature must be a key consideration as we collectively move forward.”
The call to action involves advocating for and supporting the protection and restoration of nature through finance activities and investment decisions made by the business community. It ties in closely with the expectations of investors and other stakeholders for businesses to focus on environmental, social and governance issues – expectations that will only become stronger in the longer term.
The joint statement calls upon professional accountants to act now to reverse the process of nature loss by helping the organisations they work for or with to protect, restore and promote the sustainability of natural resources. The statement summarises six key actions for professional accountants, including understanding how their organisations and clients impact and rely on nature. Professional accountants can also provide sound advice and services that contribute to an organisation’s positive effect on nature.
Check out ‘Nature is everyone’s Business’ at: https://www.businessfornature.org/call-to-action.
