IPA announces focus on sustainability in 2020, release of e-book

The Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) has announced it will focus on sustainability in 2020, with the goal of having it permeate everything the body does, going forward.

In 2020, the IPA will be looking to build awareness, mindset and culture necessary to breed a more sustainable environment.

“Sustainability for us, is not just a buzzword. We want it to be a way of life. We want it to be part of our culture, we want it to be something that permeates everything that the IPA does as an organisation. But also extending to our members, to the profession,” said Vicki Stylianou, the IPA Group executive for advocacy and technical, on the sidelines of the national congress held in Adelaide last month.

She explained that sustainability is not only something that society generally cares about, but that it has very broad economic implications.

“The IPA talks a lot about the role of the accountant as leaders and influencers in society. We very much see accountants and the role that they play as evolving and in this day and age you can’t do anything without talking about climate, the environment, about sustainability,” Ms Stylianou said.

“I think it’s time accountants really step up and take their place as influencers in sustainability, generally speaking. So that’s something that the IPA is really going to be focusing on next year and in the years to come.”

E-book expected shortly  

She explained that the IPA will not dictate or prescribe to its members how they view sustainability, but will focus on raising awareness and being a helping hand for anyone looking to build a sustainable practice.

One of the ways it will do so is by releasing an e-book, filled with tips and smart ideas for both accountants and their small business clients.

“We’re going to be releasing an e-book shortly that will give accountants some really practical ideas about how to get started in talking to their small business clients or their CFOs and with their employers about some of the really practical things they can do,” Ms Stylianou said.

“It can be really, really small. It can be how to use clean energy or how to reduce your electricity bills. Really simple things like that, because we’re always talking about energy bills. So right from the really small things to much more integrated green energy plans.”

She noted that accountants should take a closer look at the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), set by the United National General Assembly and intended to be achieved by 2030.

“I think that’s a perfect place for accountants, as business leaders, to have a look at the 17 goals, the IPA has already done a lot of work on this, and to break it down into the ones where they think they can have the most impact,” Ms Stylianou said.

“Even if it’s baby steps and you can build up. So it doesn’t necessarily need to be a big, intensive, expensive thing. I think just raising the awareness to start with is going to be really critical,” she concluded.