The accountancy profession’s role in building and maintaining a sustainable recovery in these challenging times is the focus for ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) throughout October, November and December 2020.
In its new campaign, Rethinking business for a sustainable recovery, ACCA champions the vital role professional accountants play in a world where sustainable businesses deliver financial returns, while also generating positive value for society and being environmentally responsible for the planet.
At the heart of the campaign is a spoken word performance that will be launched on Global Ethics Day (21 October 2020) titled ‘Rudder’ by Sugar J Poet, which asks ‘What’s the purpose of this profession as we sail through wind and waves? Is profit the only measure of success or does sustainability matter too?’
Lloyd Powell, Head of ACCA Cymru Wales, says: ‘Society’s values are shifting as citizens seek a fairer and more ethical world, and the Covid-19 crisis has accelerated this. To be a sustainable organisation means being committed to minimising environmental impact whilst putting social responsibility at the heart of strategy. Accountants have a huge role to play here.
‘At ACCA, we’re playing our part by supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals and helping address the global challenges the world faces, as well as being founding signatories to the Green Finance Education Charter.’
Throughout the theme, ACCA will also be looking at the link between ethics and sustainable recovery, exploring this specifically on Global Ethics Day with an online and social media event ‘The Big Conversation’ to debate these issues. ACCA will also publish professional insights that explores how making a positive social, environmental and economic impact is at the heart of 21st century value creation for all organisations.
Lloyd Powell concludes: ‘Our aim is to support our members and future members with fresh thinking on how they in turn can support their organisations to recover sustainably. That’s because what professional accountants analyse, interpret and decide today, makes lasting changes for the future which we hope will build long term resilience. We believe that responsible, ethical, and re-imagined business can be the positive legacy of post-pandemic economic recovery.’
