Accounting has jumped on the green bandwagon and is holding on tight. It’s no surprise. With the planet’s health in such a critical condition, promoting eco-friendly credentials has never been more important.
This is why many accountants are increasingly attracted to jobs in a branch of financial services called Green Accounting.
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Unlike regular number crunching that focuses solely on financial pros and cons, green accounting looks at the bigger picture and factors in environmental concerns that could impact companies and clients.
So, as well as profitability and compliance, Green Accounting also takes stock of people and the planet, weighing up the costs and benefits of alleviating the environment effects of business strategies and financial planning.
Why is this so important? Forest fires, rising sea-levels, pollution, melting icecaps . . . all these big environmental events have a direct impact on the economic prosperity of a country and the future of its small businesses, large corporations and national industries.
Exploitation of the Amazon, for example, has led to short-term financial gains for Brazil in terms of agriculture, mining, logging and farming. But from a Green Accounting perspective, the country is not balancing its books – the overall long-term cost to the environment, depletion of resources and ultimate financial blow back far outweigh any temporary profits.
In this instance, adopting Green Accounting practices is essential for the prosperity of both planet and people.
Green accountants not only advise clients and companies on how to make responsible decisions, they also help to shape their environmental policy. They devise financial forecasts on how organisations can implement eco-minded strategies. And, as regulators home in on environmental violations, they advise on how to meet increasingly stringent compliance rules.
This work can include analysing the cost of pollution prevention or offsetting the carbon footprint of an organisation.
And companies of all sizes and across all industries are already implementing these Green Accounting practices. Those leading the way include Nissan Global, Toshiba, Coca-Cola, Adidas and Unilever, to name but a few.
While a passion for the planet is essential, green accountants should also be certified by a recognised accounting body and have additional qualifications that allow them to practise environmental accounting. Many universities now have postgraduate programs for those keen to specialise in this area.
If you’re a financial expert who wants to help companies and clients grow greener, why not consider an environmental accounting role?
Simply check out the latest accounting positions on s1jobs…and you could also boost your own environmental and financial prosperity.