Focus on GFEC signatory: ICAEW

Green Finance Institute / Sustainable Finance Education Charter / Focus on GFEC signatory: ICAEW
There are more than 1.8m chartered accountants and students around the world and 186,500 of them are members and students of ICAEW. They are talented, ethical and committed professionals, which is why all of the top 100 Global Brands employ chartered accountants. We believe that chartered accountancy can be a force for positive change. By sharing our insight, expertise and understanding we can help to create strong economies and a sustainable future for all.
Who are ICAEW’s Members?
You will find chartered accountants working in every part of the economy, providing advice and financial expertise that informs the management of businesses and public sector organisations alike. Global accountancy professions have a clear responsibility to achieve the Paris Climate Agreement and the United Nations Development Goals. Chartered Accountants who understand the role that financial services play in, and who themselves are committed to a just transition to a low-carbon world have a vital role to play. Now is the time for our global networks to act.
How does green finance affect them?
The finance profession plays critical roles in the economy. Banks and insurers act as a policy lever for business, sending signals to business through prices and availability of financial products. As advisors to business we all act as enablers within the economy. The finance profession is therefore vital in driving forward the green and fair rebuild so many governments have committed to, turning that vision into a reality. Whilst our young professionals are now seeing green finance integrated into their qualifications we continue to support our members by asking how can finance professionals that are already qualified upskill and transition to the greener approach that is so urgently required?
What is ICAEW doing to support its members?
The GFEC commits us in the immediate term to engage our members on environmental issues, develop resources for them and encourage adoption of national and global standards. Over the medium term we will engage with stakeholders including policy-makers, regulators and researchers to develop and advocate best practice in green finance, embed it in our qualifications and training and work with the Green Finance Institute to engage employers to build green finance into initial and continuing professional development.

Green Finance Education Resources Available

Recorded as part of London Climate Action Week this event asked what can we do to build the capabilities of institutions and individuals to lead and support business in a green recovery? It is available as an on-demand webinar here:

Taking the Green Finance Education Charter into Business

Find out more about our support for the Green Finance Education Charter:

Adam Birt, ICAEW’s Head of Qualifications, Strategy and Development said the Institute is:

Proud to support this charter and have already demonstrated our commitment to developing the skills of our future chartered accountants through our ACA qualification.

Sustainability is embedded across the syllabus and reflected in the approach to achieving the qualification. We support this by continuing to increase access to the ACA qualification, through delivering our learning materials digitally and enabling our students to take their exams by computer and also remotely, reducing our impact on the environment.