ACCA thought leaders challenge business on sustainability issues

Global accountancy body contributes to crucial debate at the UK’s leading net zero conference

Two ACCA thought leaders on the climate crisis are contributing to Innovation Zero World 2025 (29 and 30 April).

Jessica Bingham and Emmeline Skelton are leading discussions at the UK’s largest net zero congress showing how accountants are leading the way on helping enterprises across the UK work out how to build sustainable business models, and how climate technology can be used by the UK’s finance function in making the green transition.

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is a global leader in sustainability and climate resilience producing ground-breaking research, engaging with policy makers across the globe and developing unique learning opportunities – such as the Diploma in Sustainability – to enable its over 250,000 members and others to upskill to meet the sustainability challenges all organisations face.

Jessica Bingham, ACCA’s Head of Sustainability Strategy, is leading a panel discussion on The Green Renaissance: Embedding Nature into Corporate Strategy. Jessica, who authored ACCA’s 2024 report Empowering business: navigating nature-related reporting, said: ‘Nature is not a siloed topic, it plays a key role in the mitigation of and resilience to climate change. Nature is the foundation for all life on Earth, and our research suggests that an overwhelming number of organisations do not effectively assess and communicate their impacts and dependencies on nature’. 

Leading a panel discussion on climate technology and the role of the finance function, Emmeline Skelton, Head of Sustainability ACCA, said: ‘Hearing the panel’s take on this issue is fascinating. ACCA’s research demonstrates clearly that to meet the pace of change required, accountants must lead on the smart use of emerging technologies—including AI—to support sustainable business transformation.’

The session also explored how climate technology is catalysing economic transformation, with panellists pointing to the rise of green jobs and new climate-driven business models as evidence of the shift already underway. Panellists emphasised that government intervention (such as policy changes, financial incentives and regulations) is needed to encourage the adoption of AI-driven climate technology. 

For more on ACCA’s climate work see our sustainability hub.