In this week’s Sustainability/ESG bulletin, read about calls for more financial services firms to sign up to Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter. Also covered is the publication of the annexes to Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2023; the UK Climate Change Committee's advice for the first three Northern Ireland Carbon Budgets; the percentage of Northern Ireland electricity generated from renewable sources in 2022; and the landmark UN agreement on global ocean conservation, as well as articles, resources and events.  Women in Finance Charter Minister of State at the Department of Finance for Financial Services, Insurance and Credit Unions Dr Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, T.D., has urged firms in the financial services industry to demonstrate their commitment to delivering gender balance by singing up to Ireland’s Women in Finance Charter. The Charter, launched in 2022, commits signatory firms to improving the number of women in management and board level positions. Over 50 firms, representing 44 000 employees, have already signed up to the Charter. The statement comes on the day before the announcement of the Government’s intention to hold a referendum on gender equality, as recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality and the Special Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality. Ask the Expert Interview – Climate Technology Opportunities Aideen O’Hara, Co-Founder of SustainabilityWorks, climate innovation advocate and lead co-author of a recent report with PWC on The Irish Climate Tech Opportunity 2023, will join Institute’s Sustainability Officer Susan Rossney on Thursday, 23 March for a lunchtime Q&A to discuss climate innovation and the range of Irish climate tech companies that demonstrate the potential for Ireland as a global leader in climate technology. Register free here. Climate Action Plan 2023 Annex of Actions publishes The Irish Government has approved the Annex of Actions to the 2023 Climate Action Plan. The Climate Action Plan sets out a roadmap on how to halve Ireland’s CO2e emissions by 2030 and reach ‘net zero’ no later than 2050. The ‘Annex of Actions’ is the specific actions required to implement the targets set out in the Plan. The 2023 Plan takes account of the carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings agreed in 2022.   In other climate news, plans to accelerate the delivery of 5GW of offshore wind by 2030 have received Cabinet approval, and key actions for 2023 under the Offshore Wind Energy Programme, the system-wide plan developed by the Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce were also published. UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) publishes advice for first three Northern Ireland Carbon Budgets The UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) has published its advice for the first three Carbon Budgets for Northern Ireland, the first of which will cover the period 2023 – 2027. (A carbon budget is the maximum amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted in a given period.) The advice will help inform the carbon budget being prepared for consultation and the content of Northern Ireland’s first Climate Action Plan for 2023 to 2027. This is required to be in place by end of 2023 under the Climate Change (Northern Ireland) Act 2022. In a press release DAERA encouraged organisations across the public, private and third sectors “to consider and debate the report and recommendations in readiness for participation in the consultation on a carbon budget and Climate Action Plan in the coming months.” Renewable sources generated 51 percent of Northern Ireland’s electricity in 2022 A report detailing the percentage of electricity consumption in Northern Ireland generated from renewable sources has found that 51 percent of total electricity consumption in Northern Ireland was generated from renewable sources located in Northern Ireland in 2022. This is a 9.7 percent increase on the previous year. Of this, 85.3 percent was generated from wind. EU Fiscal Policy Guidance for 2024 - Promoting debt sustainability and sustainable and inclusive growth The European Commission has provided guidance to Member States on the conduct and coordination of fiscal policy for next year. Overall, fiscal policies in 2024 “should ensure medium-term debt sustainability and promote sustainable and inclusive growth in all Member States”. The preliminary fiscal policy guidance for 2024 will be updated as necessary as part of the European Semester Spring Package in May 2023. Urgent need to speed up implementation of adaptation measures A better understanding of the costs and benefits of adaptation measures to counter climate change is needed. This is according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing which assesses the main methods, challenges and constraints in taking action. The briefing ‘Assessing the costs and benefits of climate change adaptation’ explains that as the resources available to government decision-makers are limited, better understanding is needed about the costs and benefits of adaptive actions — and the costs of adaptation compared to the costs of failing to take action. Landmark UN agreement on global ocean conservation A landmark United Nations agreement on global ocean conservation has concluded, and will provide a framework for global action to protect the ‘High Seas’. The Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) protects seas which comprise two thirds of oceans and half the surface area of the planet, but fall outside the jurisdiction of any country. In particular, the agreement will provide for the creation of a global network of High Seas marine protected areas, and will strengthen processes for environmental impact assessments for activities that may impact the marine environment. Ireland has also announced a programme of measures designed to target the pressures on Ireland’s marine environment. The programme consists of a broad range of actions with commitments across Government Departments to ensure the sustainable use of Ireland’s seas and restore degraded ecosystems and species. Videos European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) has published a series of introduction videos to the first set of draft European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). Articles Here are some good sustainability-related newsletters to subscribe to: “Climate quitting”: what is it and how can you avoid it? As jobseekers show increasing willingness to vote with their feet on corporates’ ESG credentials – or lack thereof – how should businesses ensure they keep talent on board? (ICAEW Insights) How a tax break meant to curb climate change could make it worse (Washington Post) ‘Devastating loss’ of Irish plant life revealed in 20-year study (Irish Times) Climate action in slow motion as politicians balk at prospect of change (The Irish Independent)  Competitions Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) is now accepting applications for the A4S Academy 2023. The 18-month programme will begin at the end of June 2023, with applications closing on 31st March. More details, including programme outline, eligibility and fees are on the A4S website or by email. Upcoming Events   Trinity College Dublin is running free Climate Action & Sustainability webinars on Wednesdays 1-2pm. Join 12 leading academics in Trinity College Dublin as they speak about technologies and solutions that will help deliver our goals in the areas of Climate Action and Sustainability. Trinity's Green Week (🌍👉http://bit.ly/3JeD8K4) turns 21 this month! It runs from 20-24 March and it's a week to celebrate, learn, explore, network, solve and have fun http://bit.ly/3JeD8K4 Natural Capital Investment Conference 2023 22 March, London Invest Northern Ireland/Keep NI Beautiful - Interested in becoming more climate smart in your home, business, local community? Wondering where to start? Invest Northern Ireland will be hosting a free webinar in partnership with Keep NI Beautiful to describe what changes we can make as individuals, groups, and organisations to make a significant impact 28 March 10:00 – 11:15 Clearstream Solutions - Return on Sustainability Investment Webinar 31 March, 12:00 – 13:00   Jobs Financial/Reporting Accountant for major energy provider in Ireland’s Energy/Sustainability/Renewables sector. Newly qualified ACAs can contact Dave Riordan, Careers Team, Chartered Accountants. Certificate in Sustainability Strategy, Risk and Reporting Classes start Wednesday 3 May Following three sellout sittings, our Certificate in Sustainability Strategy, Risk and Reportingfor accountants is back again in May 2023. Over 8 weeks, you'll cover key reporting frameworks and metrics, and learn to address the ESG opportunities and challenges that organisations already face. Find out more   Network for Chartered Accountants working on ESG projects Are you a Chartered Accountant working in ESG or working on ESG-related projects? Would you like an opportunity to engage with other Chartered Accountants working in this space to share insights, challenges and opportunities? Chartered Accountant now has a network to allow members working in sustainability/ESG to meet and discuss all matters of interest re ESG and accounting. 3rd Wednesday of every month Next : 22 March, 2023 14.00-15.00/30 Chartered Accountant House/Teams If you would like to attend please email sustainability@charteredaccountants.ie You can find information, guidance and supports to understand sustainability and meet the challenges it presents in our online Sustainability Centre.    

In this week’s public policy bulletin, we take a look at the first economic forecast of 2023 from the Central Bank. We also report on the Government’s announcement this week of a referendum on gender equality. In addition, we examine the latest Government bond sales from the NTMA and the signing into law of a new accountability framework for the financial services sector. Central bank forecasts lower inflation but reduced rate of growth for domestic economy   In its latest Quarterly Bulletin published this week, the Central Bank has forecasted that inflation is likely to ease to a rate of 5 percent this year. However, growth of the domestic economy is expected to slow to a rate of 3.1 percent in 2023, reducing again in 2024 to a rate of 2.9 percent according to the bulletin. Noting how “headwinds from higher inflation have tempered the pace of growth”, the Bank also points to “tighter monetary policy” in the Euro area as also affecting overall growth. Separately, the findings suggest the unemployment rate is expected to remain low, averaging at a rate of approximately 4.4 percent out to 2025, with tight labour market conditions continuing.  Government announces referendum on gender equality The Government has this week announced its intention to hold a referendum on gender equality as recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality and the Special Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality. The referendum will propose amending the Constitution to enshrine the right to gender equality and to remove the current reference to ‘women in the home’. Announcing the plans as part of International Women’s Day earlier this week, the Government’s proposals on specific constitutional amendments are to be published by the end of June, with the referendum due to take place in November. NTMA raises €1.25 billion in latest bond auction The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) this week completed an auction of €1.25 billion worth of Irish Government bonds. The funds raised as part of the sale included €450m worth of ten-year bonds maturing in 2032, carrying a yield of 3.133 percent. In addition, €800m was also raised as part of the sale of treasury bonds maturing in 2037, carrying a yield of 3.37 percent. With the completion of this week’s auction, the NTMA has so far issued a total of €4.75 billion in benchmark bonds during 2023. New accountability framework for financial services sector signed into law On Thursday of this week, the Central Bank (Individual Accountability Framework) Act 2022 was formally signed into law by the President. The new legislation will place statutory obligations on certain customer-facing firms and senior individuals within them to set out clearly where responsibility and decision-making lies in what is termed as a new ‘Senior Accountability Executive Regime’ (SEAR). In addition, the Act also includes enhancements to the existing fitness and probity regime as well as providing for stronger Central Bank enforcement capabilities. Elements of the new regime will be enforced immediately and the Central Bank is expected to publish regulations and guidance around them shortly.

By Susan Rossney, Chartered Accountants Ireland Accountants play a key role in making sure their clients and business partners can spot, avoid and act on greenwashing. ‘Greenwashing’ is where a company presents a false or misleading image to persuade the public that its products, aims or policies are more environmentally friendly than they actually are. Greenwashing is on the rise for a number of reasons. More and more companies want to take advantage of the growing public concern for environmental issues, a concern which has created a fast-growing market for green products. Companies that wish to attract talent know they can benefit from a competitive advantage over their peers by advertising their commitment to the environment. Other incentives include a desire to convince critics or stakeholders that a company is well-intentioned. There is also a rising appetite among investors for green projects. The IMF noted in its October 2021 Global Financial Stability Report that sustainable investment funds doubled in the four years up to 2021. It also noted that up to $20 trillion of new sustainable investments would be required to achieve global climate goals by 2050.   Greenwashing is dangerous and unethical because it misleads investors and consumers who are genuinely looking to buy environmentally friendly products or to join or trade with environmentally minded companies. Greenwashing aims to capitalise on consumers’ willingness to sacrifice a saving by paying what is often a premium for ‘green’ products. It weakens the efforts of those businesses actually working to create a better world. Greenwashing also represents a serious risk to businesses when misleading activities are exposed. In How Greenwashing Affects the Bottom Line, HBR authors cited that 42 percent of green claims from Europe were exaggerated, false, or deceptive, and could potentially qualify as unfair commercial practices under EU rules. The much publicised Volkswagen emissions-test scandal caused an almost 20 percent drop in the price of its shares and wiped more than €13bn off its market capitalisation.  Other high profile examples include HSBC, when the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld greenwashing accusations about environmental claims; Tesco, which was rebuked over greenwashing in adverts for plant-based food; and Asos, Boohoo and George at Asda, which were all investigated over their eco-friendly claims. In its 2021 report mentioned above, the IMF noted that proper regulatory oversight and verification mechanisms were essential to prevent financial companies making misleading claims concerning their environmental credentials. To combat greenwashing, regulators have begun to introduce proposals to protect consumers and investors. This activity gained pace in 2022. In August, the US Security Exchange Commission (SEC) launched the Climate and ESG Task Force in order to fight misleading ESG disclosures. In October, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) proposed a package of new measures to protect consumers and improve trust in relevant investment products.  Potential measures include restrictions on how terms like ‘ESG’, ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ can be used. In December China announced plans to further regulate funds claiming to be environmentally friendly. In Ireland, the Irish Auditing & Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA) started to tackle climate related statements made in Companies annual reports. In its recent Compendium of Financial Reporting Decisions it challenged statements made by some companies such as “Net zero by 2050” and promised reduction of carbon emissions. As these publications have traditionally dealt with accounting standards, their starting to address ESG statements is an interesting development. So how can greenwashing be avoided, and what can accountants do? With their skills of professional scepticism, rigorous attention to detail and an ability to interrogate data, accountants are ideally placed to be part of the global fight for better, decision-useful information to help business make critical investments. The key to this is transparency. Work is ongoing in creating global sustainability standards, but accountants can still make a valuable contribution to existing reports by making sure that company financial information and sustainability-related material ‘balances’. Accountants can ensure that the company is clear about what it is currently doing, what it has achieved to date and what it is likely to be able to do in the future. This can involve reviewing corporate pledges such as ‘Net Zero by 2050’ against planned investments in emissions-reduction in the company’s facilities projects and screening for emissions-heavy products in a company’s investment portfolio. When making procurement decisions, accountants also have the skills of professional scepticism, rigorous attention to detail and an ability to interrogate data to separate fact from aspiration. The following are questions accountants can ask of  their suppliers’ products and services: Does the company making the product or providing the service back up its environmentally friendly claims? Are the claims independently certified by a verified third-party, such as B-Corp or Fair Trade? Does the product use language that is vague and unspecific (for example, ‘eco-friendly’) without any description of how this is achieved? Are the claims made by a company too good to be true (for example, ‘carbon-neutral coal’)? Accountants can also increase their knowledge about the meaning of terminology such as ‘carbon neutral’, ‘climate-friendly’ and ‘nature positive’. By increasing their knowledge they can use it to critically assess claims made by companies that are not backed up by quality, third-party independent verification. Accountants can look to their professional associations, such as Chartered Accountants Ireland Sustainability Hub (which contains a useful glossary of terms and other resources) and international organisations such as Chartered Accountants Worldwide for further guidance.  

The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) has released a series of 20 educational videos on the first set of draft European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRSs). These videos provide some useful guidance in the form of short "glimpses" and longer "educational sessions" which will help viewers gain an understanding of the requirements as set out in the ESRSs. The ESRSs , which were subject to public consultation in 2022 set out the sustainability reporting requirements which will be phased in over time for different kinds of companies, with the first reporters doing so for years commencing on or after 1 January 2024.

In this week’s public policy bulletin, we take a look at the Government’s Annual Employment Survey for 2022 as well as the latest inflation statistics for both Ireland and the wider Euro zone. In addition, we examine current gender pay gap trends, the latest Oireachtas Committee hearing on the effect of housing shortages on SME’s and work quality statistics from Northern Ireland. Record employment levels in companies supported by Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta This week the Government released both its Annual Employment Survey for 2022 which found that jobs in client companies of Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and Údarás na Gaeltachta were now at their highest ever level, at over 529,144 jobs (up 7.3 percent on 2021 figures). According to the report, overall employment in FDI firms increased by 8.2 percent since 2021, with an additional 23,854 new jobs created. Meanwhile, employment in Irish-owned firms rose by 6 percent, recording an increase of 12,137 in new jobs since 2021. ICT services was the fastest growing sector with over a third (36.1 percent) of FDI companies operating in this space while Irish owned firms also saw the strongest growth in ICT with a 7.9 percent increase since 2021, or 2,082 full time jobs. Irish rate of inflation increases in February while Euro zone inflation falls less than expected The annual rate of inflation in Ireland is estimated to have risen to 8 percent in the year to February 2023 – an increase of approximately 1.4 percent since January. According to the CSO’s latest Flash Estimate for the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, while energy prices are estimated to have decreased by 0.2 percent in February, food and transport costs both rose in the same period by 1.2 percent and 3.6 percent respectively. Meanwhile, the annual rate of inflation across the euro area slowed marginally to 8.5 percent in February from 8.6 percent in January, according to an initial estimate from Eurostat. According to the findings, sectors across the Euro-zone with the highest prices currently include food, energy and services. Report finds gender pay gap of 12.6 percent across 500 companies An analysis of up to 500 firms based in Ireland that published gender pay gap reports in December has found that a mean gender pay gap of 12.6 percent exists. As set out in a report published this week by PwC Ireland, while the reasons for the gap vary, a key factor appears to be the higher number of men working in certain sectors. Specifically, the proportion of women to men tends to be lowest in the engineering, construction, manufacturing and technology sectors. By contrast, the lowest gaps were recorded in retail, health and charity organisations. The full report is available here. Housing shortages labelled the “greatest challenge” currently facing SME’s at Oireachtas hearing In its opening statement at a hearing of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment this week, Chambers Ireland asserted that the “greatest challenge” facing small and medium enterprises this year is the lack of available talent which is driven by affordable and appropriate housing being unavailable across most of the country. Noting how the domestic market has been fundamentally constrained by this lack of housing, the organisation outlined how “although we are growing as an economy, we are not growing at the pace we could grow” if the housing supply issue was to be adequately addressed. Chartered Accountants Ireland last week launched a joint paper with housing charity Focus Ireland on how to improve supply in the private rental sector. Latest work quality in Northern Ireland statistics released  The latest statistics on work quality in Northern Ireland was published this week by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. The publication provides statistics for eight work quality indicators: earnings, secure employment, neither under/over employed, job satisfaction, meaningful work, career progression, employee involvement in decision-making and flexible working. Finding that five of the eight work quality indicators have had significant increases since 2020, notable differences however emerged when analysing by age and sex. For example, while career progression has been consistently higher for employees aged 18 to 39 than those aged 40 and over, meaningful work has also been consistently higher for female employees than for male employees with the difference increasing from two percentage points in 2020 to eight percentage points in 2022. 

  In this week’s Sustainability/ESG bulletin, read about Chartered Accountants Ireland’s letter to the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications about business supports required for decarbonisation. Also covered is increased funding supports available for businesses to invest in energy efficient and renewable heating, Ireland’s Climate Action Plan progress, the Irish Funds Industry ‘Climate Challenge’, a UK Green Taxonomy, and some good sustainability newsletters, articles and events.  Chartered Accountants Ireland lobbies government for more climate-related support for SMEs Chartered Accountants Ireland has issued a letter to the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications regarding the capacity of Irish businesses to meet the challenges presented by the transition to a low carbon economy. The Institute has called on the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, TD, to launch a formal campaign to encourage SMEs to reduce their CO2 emissions while adapting and seizing new opportunities. Read the letter and the accompanying press coverage. Increased funding supports available for businesses to invest in energy efficiency and renewable heating Increased supports are now available for energy efficiency, heat pump and biomass installations to support businesses looking to improve efficiency and switch from fossil fuel. Two schemes have received increased funding: the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) and the Excellence in Energy Efficient Design (EXEED), both provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Capital grant support of up to €3 million or biomass tariff of up to €3.5 million over 15 years is now available for renewable heat and energy efficiency projects in buildings and industry. It was also announced that the eSPSV Grant Scheme for taxis, hackneys and limousines has been renewed for 2023, offering savings to SPSV owners who switch to electric vehicles. Ireland’s Climate Action progress report The Irish Government has published its final progress report on Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2021,  reportedly announcing that 760 of the 965 measures in the Plan – 80 percent – have been implemented. However, it noted a continuing rise in carbon emissions (the single biggest contributor to global warming), mainly due to the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation and “a persistent coupling of economic activity with greenhouse gas emissions”. The report warns that any delays in implementing measures under the Climate Action Plan 2023 will “have greater consequences and further risk not meeting legally binding carbon budgets and SECs [sectoral emissions ceilings]”. Irish Funds Industry Launches a Climate Challenge Ireland's Green Team Network has partnered with the NGO Global Action Plan Ireland to launch a Funds Industry Climate Challenge pilot for 17 – 28 April. Participating companies will compete with all other companies in the industry to log the most CO2 emissions saved at the end of a two-week period of climate-friendly activities. The two-week Funds Industry Climate Challenge was launched on Tuesday 28 February, and winners will be announced at the Irish Funds Industry Association’s annual conference on 18 May. The competition is open to all firms within the Irish Funds industry (including professional services firms) and seeks to engage employees, enabling them to discover how small differences in our day-to-day behaviour can have a big impact on our carbon footprint. Register your interest / find out more at greenteamnetwork.ie/climatechallenge. The UK Green Taxonomy The Green Technical Advisory Group (GTAG) have published its advice to the UK Government on promoting the international interoperability of a UK Green Taxonomy. GTAG's new paper highlights how the UK must align sustainable rules with the EU where possible, or risk falling behind in the race to attract green finance. The Green Technical Advisory Group (GTAG) provides independent, non-binding advice to Government on the design and implementation of a UK Green Taxonomy. The EU Taxonomy, a classification system, establishing a list of environmentally sustainable economic activities, has been established as a way to help the EU scale up sustainable investment and implement the European green deal. IPSASB, IFAC and Accountancy Europe to host interactive discussion on sustainability standards and reporting The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB), IFAC and Accountancy Europe will host an interactive in-person discussion on April 4 in Brussels around key ideas the IPSASB is exploring related to the development of sustainability standards and the resources necessary to deliver the urgently needed public sector reporting guidance. The discussion follows a new report published by IFAC, AICPA & CIMA – the  State of Play in Sustainability Assurance benchmarking – which captures and analyses the extent to which companies are reporting and obtaining assurance over their sustainability disclosures, which assurance standards are being used, and which companies are providing the assurance service. Newsletters Here are some good sustainability-related newsletters to subscribe to: Accountancy Europe’s Sustainability Update DCU Centre for Climate and Society  School Newsletter Natural Capital Ireland (NCI) Newsletters SustainabilityWorks SW News The Journal ‘Temperature Check’  Articles How to travel from Dublin to London by ferry and rail – A detailed guide from Dublin City Councillor Michael Pidgeon. State launches green transport incentive scheme for workplaces - Businesses will get gold, silver and bronze ratings based on efforts to reduce staff driving to work (Business Post) Every 1-degree rise in ocean temperatures produces huge increase in rainfall, Irish study finds (Irish Times) Competitions Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) is now accepting applications for the A4S Academy 2023. The 18-month programme will begin at the end of June 2023, with applications closing on 31st March. More details, including programme outline, eligibility and fees are on the A4S website or by email. Upcoming Events   Trinity College Dublin is running free Climate Action & Sustainability webinars on Wednesdays 1-2pm. Join 12 leading academics in Trinity College Dublin as they speak about technologies and solutions that will help deliver our goals in the areas of Climate Action and Sustainability. Carlow Local Enterprise Office is hosting a free webinar from ‘The Green Panel’ which aims to inform, inspire, and engage owner managers and their key staff in how they can implement green technologies, processes and products to their business in order to be more competitive. (8 March 11.00am) Natural Capital Investment Conference 2023 22 March, London Invest Northern Ireland/Keep NI Beautiful - Interested in becoming more climate smart in your home, business, local community? Wondering where to start? Invest Northern Ireland will be hosting a free webinar in partnership with Keep NI Beautiful to describe what changes we can make as individuals, groups, and organisations to make a significant impact 28 March 10:00 – 11:15 Clearstream Solutions - Return on Sustainability Investment Webinar 31 March, 12:00 – 13:00   Jobs Financial/Reporting Accountant for major energy provider in Ireland’s Energy/Sustainability/Renewables sector. Newly qualified ACAs can contact Dave Riordan, Careers Team, Chartered Accountants. Certificate in Sustainability Strategy, Risk and Reporting Classes start Wednesday 3 May Following three sellout sittings, our Certificate in Sustainability Strategy, Risk and Reportingfor accountants is back again in May 2023. Over 8 weeks, you'll cover key reporting frameworks and metrics, and learn to address the ESG opportunities and challenges that organisations already face. Find out more You can find information, guidance and supports to understand sustainability and meet the challenges it presents in our online Sustainability Centre.   Network for Chartered Accountants working on ESG projects Are you a Chartered Accountant working in ESG or working on ESG-related projects? Would you like an opportunity to engage with other Chartered Accountants working in this space to share insights, challenges and opportunities? Chartered Accountant now has a network to allow members working in sustainability/ESG to meet and discuss all matters of interest re ESG and accounting. 3rd Wednesday of every month Next : 22 March, 2023 14.00-15.00/30 Chartered Accountant House/Teams If you would like to attend please email sustainability@charteredaccountants.ie You can find information, guidance and supports to understand sustainability and meet the challenges it presents in our online Sustainability Centre.    

In this week’s public policy bulletin, we take a look at the latest statistics on employment levels and pension coverage in the State. We also examine the UK government’s launch of a new investment in Northern Ireland’s cyber security industry as well as the latest Labour Force Survey results for the region. In addition, we review inflation levels across the Eurozone as reported this week by Eurostat. Record employment levels reported in fourth quarter of 2022 According to the latest Labour Force Survey statistics released by the CSO, 68,600 new jobs were created in Ireland in the 12 months to quarter 4 2022. Total employment currently stands at 2.57 million – representing the highest number of persons employed in the State since the CSO’s Labour Force Survey began in 1998. The latest survey also outlines how the regions have largely driven the current jobs growth - with employment outside of Dublin increasing by 61,500 in the year to quarter 4 2022. While most economic sectors had greater numbers in employment in Q4 2022 than when compared to pre-pandemic levels, some sectors saw decreases in employment such as education (down 3.2 percent) and agriculture (down 5.7 percent). Two thirds of workers have some form of pension coverage outside of State pension Two thirds of people aged between 20 and 69 have some form of private pension on top of the State Pension, according to a new report from the CSO. Of this cohort, 73 percent have an occupational pension only, 10 percent have a personal pension only while approximately 17 percent report having both. Of the occupational schemes, 62 percent were defined contribution, 32 percent were defined benefit and 6 percent were hybrid (i.e. a combination of defined benefit and defined contribution type schemes). Overall levels of pension coverage however remain largely unchanged from 2021, with the greatest level of coverage being seen amongst workers aged 45-54 (77 percent) and the lowest degree of coverage reported amongst workers aged 20-24 (31 percent). UK government announces £18.9 million investment in Northern Ireland’s cyber security industry The UK Government has announced an £18.9 million investment in NI’s Cyber Security industry, including £11 million Government funding through the New Deal for Northern Ireland, to develop a pipeline of cyber security professionals in NI as well helping businesses and start-ups develop new opportunities. The investment will see the creation of a new Cyber-AI Hub at the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) in Belfast designed to create jobs and support the research and development of AI-enabled cyber security projects in the region. In addition, the programme of investment will involve the creation of a Doctoral training programme and Masters degree bursaries designed to deliver on the Government’s pledge of creating 5,000 cyber professionals in NI by 2030. Latest Northern Ireland NEET statistics released (young people who are not in education employment or training)   According to the latest Labour Force Survey released by the NI Statistics and Research Agency, there were an estimated 18,000 young people aged 16 to 24 years in Northern Ireland who were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in October to December 2022. This was equivalent to 9 percent of all those aged 16 to 24 years in the region. By comparison, the proportion of young people who were NEET in the UK during the same period was 11.6 percent. In October to December 2022 there were an estimated 13,000 young people aged 16 to 24 years in Northern Ireland who were NEET and who were not looking for work and/or not available to start work (economically inactive). Rate of inflation reduces across Euro zone in January Inflation in the Euro area stood at 8.6 percent in January 2023, down from 9.2 percent in December according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Overall, annual inflation fell in eighteen Member States while rising in nine. The lowest rates were registered in Luxembourg (5.8 percent), Spain (5.9 percent), Cyprus and Malta (both 6.8 percent) while the highest rates were recorded in Hungary (26.2 percent), Latvia (21.4 percent) and the Czech Republic (19.1 percent). According to the Eurostat findings, inflation in Ireland (as measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices which allows for comparisons across the EU) stood at 7.5 percent. The full report can be accessed here.

  In this week’s Sustainability/ESG bulletin, read about free business decarbonisation and digital transformation events being rolled out by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Also covered is a report into Ireland’s air quality, and how Invest NI is advising Northern Ireland’s drinks manufacturers regarding Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme. The European Environment Agency has published a report into improving the sustainability of plastics, and the European Commission’s has issued a package of measures to improve the sustainability and resilience of the EU's fisheries and aquaculture sector. Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment rolls out free decarbonisation & digital transformation events for business The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is holding a series of free events for businesses which will highlight the opportunities and challenges presented by digital transformation and decarbonisation. The first event will be hosted on Friday 3 March at An Dánlann, Atlantic Technological University (ATU), and is open to businesses based in Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo. The event will include a keynote address by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, as well as panel discussions on how digital transformation and decarbonisation can boost business, expert information on the range of government supports available to businesses, and opportunities to connect with and learn from businesses of all sizes across all sectors. For more information and to register visit Building Better Business in the North-West. Air quality in Ireland A report published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that air quality levels exceeded the recommended daily limit for particulate matter (‘PM10’) in parts of Ireland last year. Although the EPA confirms that air quality in Ireland is generally good and compares favourably with many countries in Europe, they have expressed concern over ‘localised issues’ which lead to poor air quality and associated risks. According to the WHO, air pollution can increase risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases including asthma. Some 1,300 premature deaths each year in Ireland are attributable to air pollution, with most cases linked to cardiovascular disease. Last week also saw the publication of the findings of Project Air View. The project, a 16-month air quality study undertaken by Dublin City Council and Google, used an electric Google Street View car with mobile air sensing technology to measure street-by-street air quality.  Commenting, Minister of State for Public Expenditure and Reform, Ossian Smyth, TD, reportedly described the maps as bringing “visibility to an invisible killer.” Advice for Northern Ireland’s drinks industry regarding the Republic of Ireland's Deposit Return Scheme Invest Northern Ireland is urging Northern Ireland producers and manufacturers of drinks, or those who sell them online, to familiarise themselves with the Republic of Ireland’s Re-turn scheme and potential registration requirements. The DRS aims to incentive people to recycle their drinks bottles and cans with the introduction of a small refundable deposit placed on single-use drinks containers. The DRS will go live on Thursday 1 February 2024, and the producer and retailer registration process is expected to close at the end of March 2023. A Northern Ireland DRS is set to be introduced by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in 2025. EU report into improving the sustainability of plastics A report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) has found that scaling up circular and sustainability practices throughout the lifecycle of plastics can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and waste, and enable a circular plastics economy in Europe. ‘Pathways towards circular plastics in Europe — good practice examples from countries, business and citizens’ identifies three main pathways to achieve sustainable production and consumption of plastics: smarter use of plastics, increased circularity, and more renewable materials. Sustainability of EU fisheries and aquaculture sector The European Commission has presented a package of measures to improve the sustainability and resilience of the EU's fisheries and aquaculture sector. The main objectives of the measures are to promote the use of cleaner energy sources and reduce dependency on fossil fuels as well as reduce the sector's impact on marine ecosystems. The four elements of the package are a Communication on the Energy Transition of the EU Fisheries and Aquaculture sector; an Action Plan to protect and restore marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries; a Communication on the common fisheries policy today and tomorrow; and a Report on the Common Market Organisation for fishery and aquaculture products. NGOs take legal action against Eurozone’s  biggest bank over fossil fuel loans Three NGOs – Oxfam, Friends of the Earth and Notre Affaire à Tous – have taken legal action against the Eurozone’s biggest bank, BNP Paribas. The action was taken on the grounds that BNP Paribas’ loans to oil and gas firms breach a legally binding duty in France to ensure its activities do not harm the environment. In a statement the advocacy groups reportedly state that the action is aimed at making the bank exit the financing of fossil fuels. The case is one of a number of legal attacks being brought by activists, including against Shell and TotalEnergies. Articles SMEs need climate help to hit reduction targets, accountants tell Ryan (Sunday Independent) Demand and dilemmas grow for sustainability consultants (FT) This St Patrick’s Day, instead of wearing green, do something green (Irish Times) A supergrid for Europe is the last piece in jigsaw to decarbonise Europe (Irish Times) More Irish companies reporting environmental emissions - CDP (RTÉ) Why corporate climate pledges don’t always stand up to scrutiny (Irish Times) Early movers on sustainability will attract the best talent, reduce business risks, and build more resilient supply chains (The Irish Times) Expert tips for coping with climate anxiety (RTÉ) Podcast The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has issued its February 2023 update and podcast. Competition  Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) is now accepting applications for the A4S Academy 2023. The 18-month programme will begin at the end of June 2023, with applications closing on 31st March. More details, includingprogramme outline, eligibility and fees are on the A4S website or by email. Events Invest Northern Ireland/Keep NI Beautiful - Interested in becoming more climate smart in your home, business, local community? Wondering where to start? Invest Northern Ireland will be hosting a free webinar in partnership with Keep NI Beautiful to describe what changes we can make as individuals, groups, and organisations to make a significant impact (28 March 10:00 – 11:15) Leinster Society -  Business Lunch with Sonya Lennon - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in today’s business world - wtith speakers David McRedmond An Post CEO, Jeanne McDonagh, CEO Open Doors Initiative, and Lorna Conn, CEO The Cpl Group (2 March, 12:30 - 16:30) Trinity College Dublin is running free Climate Action & Sustainability webinars on Wednesdays 1-2pm. Join 12 leading academics in Trinity College Dublin as they speak about technologies and solutions that will help deliver our goals in the areas of Climate Action and Sustainability. Clearstream Solutions - Return on Sustainability Investment Webinar (31 March, 12:00 – 13:00) Jobs Financial/Reporting Accountant for major energy provider in Ireland’s Energy/Sustainability/Renewables sector. Newly qualified ACAs can contact Dave Riordan, Careers Team, Chartered Accountants. Network for Chartered Accountants working on ESG projects Are you a Chartered Accountant working in ESG or working on ESG-related projects? Would you like an opportunity to engage with other Chartered Accountants working in this space to share insights, challenges and opportunities? Chartered Accountant now has a network to allow members working in sustainability/ESG to meet and discuss all matters of interest re ESG and accounting. 3rd Wednesday of every month Next : 22 March, 2023 14.00-15.00/30 Chartered Accountant House/Teams If you would like to attend please email sustainability@charteredaccountants.ie You can find information, guidance and supports to understand sustainability and meet the challenges it presents in our online Sustainability Centre.    

Paper has been submitted to Government and calls for accelerated delivery of social, affordable, and cost rental housing   Immediate short term tax measures vital to stem the flow of a record numbers of families becoming homeless  23 February 2023 – Focus Ireland and Chartered Accountants Ireland have today launched a briefing paper which calls on the Government to introduce targeted measures to keep small-scale landlords in the private rented market to help ease the housing crisis.   The new paper gives further credence to the report by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) at the end of last week which recommended the Government consider further action to improve the tax treatment of landlords.   While Focus Ireland and the Institute agree that the long-term government objective of increasing the delivery of social, affordable, and cost rental housing is the correct course of action, the joint briefing paper highlights the short-term challenge presented by the large-scale departure of private landlords now taking place.   The paper calls for urgent measures to address this mismatch in supply. It sets out seven fully costed proposals primarily using tax policy as a lever to encourage small-scale landlords to remain in the residential rental market in the medium to long term and help to prevent homelessness.   Commenting Pat Dennigan, CEO of Focus Ireland said:  “One of the biggest causes for families becoming homeless in recent times is that they are losing their homes in the private rented market as landlords are selling up and leaving the market. Focus Ireland believes that the Government must take action to encourage small-scale landlords to stay in the market as this would help to cut the record number of households becoming homeless. Urgent policy responses are required which should be targeted at landlords who are considering evicting their tenants to sell over the next number years, convincing them it is in their interest to stay, or not to evict when they are selling.”   Commenting Dr Brian Keegan, Director of Public Policy, Chartered Accountants Ireland said: “Small landlords are an essential feature of a fully functioning residential property market, and properties owned by these landlords are more likely to be in regional, less densely populated parts of the country, providing much needed rental stock in areas that are not as attractive to institutional investors. Renting as an investment is becoming less attractive for these smaller landlords however. Increased regulation in recent years has been driven by efforts to provide greater security for tenants in the face of a shortage of rental accommodation, but in many cases, these have increased the likelihood of small landlords leaving the market, exacerbating problems they were intended to remedy.”   “Small-scale landlords cite the restrictive taxation obligations on any rental profits accruing to them. After settling taxes on any profits, some small landlords face a current loss on rental income. We are asking for Government and its agencies to consider our proposals for the small-scale private landlord to encourage their continued involvement in the market to ensure tenants are protected.”   The proposals outlined in the joint briefing paper include:  Increase wear and tear rates from 12.5 percent to 25 percent per annum to facilitate investment in the maintenance of properties and encourage better standards where renovations do not result in the termination of an existing tenancy under section 34 and the property remains in the private rental market for the following five years.  100 percent capital allowances for retrofitting costs in the year of work where landlords retrofit a property to improve its energy rating, where renovations do not result in the termination of an existing tenancy under section 34 and the property remains in the private rental market for the following five years.  Parity in taxation of corporate and individual landlords: a flat rate of 25 percent on Case V income for small landlords who opted to become ‘professional landlords’ by waiving their rights under section 34 of the Residential Tenancy Act (2014), giving additional security to their tenants.   Deduction for LPT: allow local property tax as a deduction against rental income.   Align allowable rental expenses with normal trading deductions: expenses available for deduction against rental income should become less prescriptive and more in line with normal trading deductions. In the context of taxing rental profits earned by an active class of professional landlords, the broader based deduction for financing costs under Case I principles should apply.   Succession reliefs: Professional landlords should be given access to succession reliefs, such as CGT retirement relief available to other business owners, to improve the long term investment proposition of the residential rental business.   CGT relief for rental properties acquired with tenants-in-situ: CGT relief of four percent per annum would accrue on an annual basis for the length of time the asset remains as a rental property.  Download the paper here.  ENDS