ESG Opportunities in Accounting with Ian Thomson

Episode 93. In today's interview, "ESG Opportunities in Accounting with Ian Thomson." Ian Thomson is Professor of Accounting and Sustainability at Birmingham Business School, Convenor of the Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting and Director of the Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business. He has researched the many connections between responsible, sustainable business and accounting for 30 years. He co-authored Urgent Business and was a judge for UK Responsible Business of the Year. Key takeaways from this episode include: ➯ how businesses can future proof and preserve value in tough times ➯ the importance of resilience for businesses in dealing with uncertain change ➯ the urgency and 'burning platform' of environmental change in the modern world ➯ why companies and accounting firms are further down the sustainability road than they think ➯ why sustainability issues and environmental concerns are natural priorities for businesses ➯ how the recent global environmental summit in Glasgow COP 26 is changing things ➯ what accounting firms can do to make better decisions about sustainability and climate change ➯ why businesses are actually weak and fragile in their outlook to costs and risk ➯ the best question businesses can ask themselves to asses their environmental priorities and risk ➯ how ESG (environmental and social governance) helps put sustainability into a business context ➯ how the financial accounts of a business are just one dimension of its performance ➯ the problems with ESG initiatives with the measurements and the data ➯ the danger for accounting advisors of data overload and how technology can help ➯ what accounting firm clients can ask their advisors to maximise climate, sustainability and ESG opportunities ➯ the crucial role accounting professionals must play to help business clients in a VUCA world ➯ the opportunities accountants have with data if they have the right analytical and technological skills ➯ best advice to accountants who want to embrace ESG, sustainability and climate services opportunities Ian spends his spare time listening to loud and fast rock music, walking his dog and watching Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland and Hearts lose. Useful sites and links https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/responsible-business/index.aspx https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/urgent-business https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/csear/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-he-him-thomson-644b9129/ @UoBResponsible NOTE TO LISTENERS: The Accounting Influencers Podcast is a CPE-accredited daily radio-style show with four segments coming out every Monday which are repeated on the other 4 weekdays as standalone episodes, plus a bonus 'from the client's perspective' episode on Saturdays. On Sundays, listeners get a short min trailer for the coming week's episodes. Every Tuesday the show gives you a relevant news topic from the accounting and fintech world with a direct application to accountants, CPAs and bookkeepers. Great to stay informed and build your commercial acumen. Every Wednesday and Friday, we feature an uncut interview with top authors, leaders, thinkers and performers in the accounting and fintech world. Every Thursday the show gives you a practical 'here's what works' tips concerning a key challenge, need or strategy for accountants, CPAs and bookkeepers. Great to stay current and keep your skills topped up. Finally, every Saturday gives listeners a bonus episode which focuses on the buyers of accounting services - the clients themselves. In particular how they feel, react to and experience their interactions with accountants. That includes why they buy or don't buy, why they move or stay and why they think how they think about you, your firm, your prices and your offerings. Martin and Rob love to hear from the show's 22,000 unique listeners in 150 countries around the world. If you like the show and listen to multiple episodes, we'd really appreciate your...