Sustainable business

The role of accountants in sustainable business

In brief

  • Chartered Accountants have a key role to play in creating a sustainable future for business and society.
  • Business and the profession can contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals.
  • We are members of the UN Global Compact Network Australia and Accounting for Sustainability.

Karen McWilliams FCA speaks to Sean Aylmer, presenter at the Fear and Greed business podcast on social responsibilites of business.

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Shaping the future

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand recognises that Chartered Accountants and other finance professionals have a key role to play in shaping the future. As professionals, we are tasked with making sense of past performance and also provide insight into what the future might hold.

Accounting for Sustainability. From Sustainability to Business Resilience, a publication from the International Federation of Accountants, clarifies the important role accountants can, and must, play in embracing sustainability to ensure that the organizations they serve are resilient by linking sustainability to a broader business agenda and strategy.

More information

Read the full publication, Accounting for Sustainability.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 goals covering all aspects of sustainable development from poverty and climate change to innovation and economic growth. They cover the period from 2016-2030 and all 193 UN member states agreed to them. The SDGs explicitly call on all businesses to apply their creativity and innovation to help solve these sustainable development challenges. They enable leading companies to demonstrate how their business helps to advance sustainable development such as: identifying future business opportunities, enhancing the value of corporate sustainability and strengthening stakeholder relations.

More on the SDGs

Find out how you can help support the UN Sustainable Development Goals

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We are members of the Accounting Bodies Network of the Prince of Wales’ Accounting for Sustainability Project and the UN Global Compact Network Australia. Through these, we are able to contribute to and leverage useful guidance and resources to help Chartered Accountants play this role.

Accounting for Sustainability

Learn more about the goals and objectives of the Accounting Bodies Network

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UN Global Compact Network

Leadership, membership and issues that the Global Compact Network Australia supports.

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Raising awareness of the sustainable development goals

Chartered Accountants ANZ lodges its submission to the Australian Senate Inquiry into the SDGs.

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Can accountants save the planet?

Integrated reporting can help develop resilient businesses models that address sustainability issues and risks.

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Year-end climate change disclosures

We share some global tools and resources to help organisations with their climate-related disclosures.

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Watch: Future risk - how to measure your exposure

How to use the UN sustainable goals and Integrated Reporting to measure risks and challenges.

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Incorporating the SDGs into your business

Business leaders see the benefit of the Sustainable Development Goals and how they can use them to drive change in the organisation.

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Responsible investing is now a win win for business

Business is seeing the value in green bonds and social impact investment as they deliver better returns.

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Visit the Library

Browse our catalogue of books, journals and articles related to Sustainable Business

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