Be climate change ambassadors – Accountants told

Dr Robert Donaldy, Chairman, Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG) Practice Society, has urged auditing professionals to be ambassadors of corporate climate change and sustainability activities.

“As auditing professionals, we stand to grow our practices when there is a booming economy due to favourable climate change and sustainability,” he said.

Dr Donaldy said this at the opening session of the 2023 Practice Management Conference.

This year’s conference, being the second edition, is on the theme: “Responding to Climate Change and Sustainability through Stewardship and Innovation—The Role of the Auditor”.

Organised by the Practice Society, the conference brought together practitioners as well as international and local accounting firms in Ghana.

The three-day event is to enable participants to generate ideas on how to deliver outstanding client services, double incomes, and master service margins.

It is also to help practitioners understand partnership formation dynamics and sustainability, and to appreciate climate change in financial reporting.

Dr Donaldy urged accountants to uphold strong professional ethics and build solid reputation.

“Reputation is not something we can achieve through a shortcut approach. It requires us to build within ourselves the mindset of integrity, excellent analytical hard skills backed by information technology, and accurate reporting whilst desisting from covering up corporate and other wrongdoings.”

Ms Sena Dake, President, ICAG, underscored the critical role accountants must play in tackling climate change challenges towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

She noted that the deadline for progress toward the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals was fast approaching, yet many countries were falling behind and said, “the

skills of accountants will become increasingly high in demand as the Sustainable Development Goals gain traction.”

Ms Dake indicated that the ICAG was leading the way by promoting sustainability and contributing to standards development, adoption and implementation in West Africa.

She said the Institute was also leveraging its reputation to tackle other critical issues, including regulatory fragmentation, fraud and corruption, and corporate reporting and assurance.

Ms Dake urged practitioners to strengthen good governance, embrace integrated reporting, implement internationally accepted standards, and enhance public sector financial management.

She also urged the practitioners to create the right environment to ensure the growth and inclusiveness of small and medium-sized entities.

Dr Eric Oduro Osae, Director-General, Internal Audit Agency, encouraged the practitioners to develop an intervention strategy to boost Ghana’s economic growth and development.

He added that practitioners should develop client-centred roadmap, raise technologically savvy personnel, mentor young accountants and form strong networks and alliances.

Mr Mark Lloydbottom, Practice Management Consultant, United Kingdom, encouraged the participants to apply themselves diligently throughout the conference so that they could derive maximum benefits from it.