Today is National Tree Day in Ireland. On this day the Tree Council of Ireland – a non-governmental voluntary umbrella body for organisations involved in the establishment, management and conservation of trees in Ireland – encourages primary schools across the country to plant a tree.
It is a good day then to announce that Chartered Accountants Ireland has planted a native Irish tree for each of its 2022 Sustainability Conference speakers. This year 20 wonderful speakers addressed the conference, the second such annual event to be held by the Institute. This year’s theme was ‘Moving Beyond the Pledges’ and speakers shared their expert knowledge on how businesses can understand climate risks, transform to an ESG culture and collaborate in the future to leverage knowledge for the benefit of all levels of the economies.
We were delighted to partner with Wolfgang Reforest for our planting. Wolfgang Reforest is an Irish company that is reforesting 51 acres in the River Ow valley just beyond Aughrim in County Wicklow. It is restoring this land to its former glory as a native Irish woodland, planting a diverse forest that will act as a breeding ground for wildlife, provide rich nourishment for the soils and revitalise the waters of the River Ow.
Chartered Accountants Ireland’s commitment to reversing nature loss
Experts warn that biodiversity loss poses as much of a threat to our planet as climate change. But businesses struggle to understand their connection with biodiversity and its relevance to their business. This leaves them potentially vulnerable to a range of risks, and leaves nature vulnerable to increasing depletion. In recognition of this, the CEO of Chartered Accountants Ireland, Barry Dempsey, joined the chief executives of 10 of the world’s leading accountancy institutes in March 2022 to support a new call to action in response to the nature crisis. Working together as part of the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA), the CEOs signed the call to action ‘Nature is Everyone’s Business’ to signal the important role the profession plays in this crisis. You can also find resources on in the module Biodiversity – Accounting for Nature in the Chartered Accountants Ireland Sustainability Hub.
Chartered Accountants Ireland’s journey to zero
Chartered Accountants Ireland has publicly committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Our journey to net zero began in December 2020 and will continue until we have balanced the residual carbon dioxide equivalent emissions with high-quality, nature-based offsets. Following an internal energy audit by a SEAI-registered energy auditor in 2021, we have progressed with decarbonising our Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and are focussing on Scope 3 in 2022. This journey is part of a project to improve how we use resources like water, paper and electricity and how we manage waste.