2021 was the year of ambitious ESG (environment, social, governance) pledges. Organisations everywhere pledged to deliver a net zero and sustainable economy by 2050. Accountants and financial professionals will be instrumental in delivering on these pledges.
Addressing the knowledge gap – climate risks
This first session will discuss the physical and transitional risks presented by climate change, and the role of accountants in managing the impacts of these risks on business. It will specifically address the knowledge gap facing the profession, as it is called upon to help clients and manage their own operations to deal with the acute and chronic risks presented by climate change. Presenters will discuss how to carry out scenario analyses and how manage demands from stakeholders for information pertaining to climate-related metrics.
Transforming to an ESG culture
Organisational behavioural change is critical to driving the adoption of sustainability practices across all companies. This session will hear from experts in people and organisational change practice; sustainability; transformation and communications. It will demonstrate how successful behavioural transformation practices in large Irish organisations can be adapted for all companies.
Looking to the future
As the conference will have a strong focus on collaboration, the panel brings together Partners from the Big 4 accounting firms – Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PWC – to share insights and discuss future trends in sustainability. It will demonstrate how the combined knowledge and expertise of the large firms can be leveraged by members advising businesses at all levels of the economies, from multinationals to SMEs. It will also consider the future role of and opportunities for accountants in sustainability.