Accountancy To Sustainability: A Surprisingly Short Leap.

When I qualified many years ago, my father, a fellow accountant, gifted me a 1970s poster to commemorate the event. The poster’s killer line was “Accountancy was my life, until I discovered Smirnoff…the effect is shattering”.

This poster has, and will always have great sentimental value to me, but back then it never really resonated, due to my dislike for vodka. Looking at it again now, my dislike of vodka remains, however, if I substitute ‘Smirnoff’ for ‘Sustainability’, there’s real resonance in the message.

Following my passion to work in sustainability after over ten years in corporate commercial finance, has had a hugely positive impact on my life in so many ways. Reflecting on my personal journey, I believe the transition to sustainability has been made more straightforward because of my previous life as an accountant. 

The transferable skills and experience I gained from this diverse and rewarding profession continue to serve me well. Here, I’ve outlined the key accountancy skills that, in my experience, are highly valuable and can be easily applied in sustainability-focused roles.

• Financial Acumen: Accountants are renowned for their numerical expertise, which is invaluable in sustainability. We gather, analyse, and interpret data with ease, making these skills essential for a wide range of critical activities, such as carbon footprints, life-cycle assessments, and energy audits.
• Attention To Detail: With growing demand for sustainability reporting, accountants can extend our financial reporting skills to this area. Our attention to detail and adherence to standards ensure the accuracy, reliability, and transparency of environmental and social performance, enhancing credibility and instilling confidence.
• Critical Thinking And Problem Solving: Both skills are highly transferable, with an accountant’s expertise in business cases and cost-benefit analyses playing a key role in sustainable decision-making. We offer objective analysis and balanced judgments which are crucial for assessing environmental impacts and identifying opportunities for cost savings, energy efficiency, and waste reduction.
• Risk Management: Accountants’ ability to assess financial data, identify trends, and evaluate risks makes us well-suited to assessing sustainability risks and maximising opportunities. This includes identifying, prioritising, and monitoring risks, supported by effective internal controls and integrated reporting, within an enterprise risk management framework.
• Accounting Principles: The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Accounting and Reporting Standard relies on the principles of Relevance, Completeness, Consistency, Transparency, and Accuracy. It aligns with financial accounting by setting boundaries and consolidating GHG emissions using approaches like equity share and financial or operational control—all accounting principles ingrained in our DNA.
• Business Planning: Accountants play a key role in business planning, ensuring alignment to financial goals. Our financial expertise ensures sustainability initiatives are economically viable, resources are allocated effectively, and funds are directed to initiatives with the greatest environmental impact, contributing to long-term value creation.
• Collaboration And Communication: These are the cornerstone of any successful sustainability strategy. One of the most valuable skills accountants possess is the ability to communicate complex concepts to stakeholders in a simple, clear, and concise manner. An essential transferable skill in this evolving and complex sustainability landscape.

While I’ve highlighted only a handful of the transferable skills accountants possess, it’s clear we hold a unique and privileged position. By leveraging these skills and embracing broader responsibilities, accountants can become catalysts for change.

We have both the opportunity and the responsibility to help build a more sustainable future, extending our stewardship beyond financial integrity to include the planet and society.