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Net Zero Now provides an end to end climate solution, giving accountancy firms all the tools you need to measure and reduce carbon emissions. 

We are a climate action platform who worked with many businesses, including the Good Business Charter, to develop the Net Zero Accountancy Initiative. The initiative makes it easier and more cost-effective for businesses of all sizes to act on the climate crisis. Net Zero Now makes each step of this process accessible through a comprehensive and intuitive digital platform, which includes:

  • Calculation of your carbon footprint
  • An easy-to-use tool for reporting emissions
  • Bespoke carbon reductions advice 
  • Trusted Certification Marks to communicate success to clients, employees and other stakeholders

The platform is designed to be accessible for businesses with little or no climate expertise, however Net Zero Now is also able to provide account management support for those businesses who want or need additional support.

Acting on climate is good for your business too.

There are clear commercial benefits to those businesses getting on board now.

Clients demand it: A focus on sustainability encourages environmentally-conscious customers to choose your accountancy practice over a less sustainable one. 

Employees expect it: Current employees working for your practice, and prospective new recruits, are now placing sustainability factors as high on their lists of requirements for an employer as salary, location, or role.

Investors require it: ESG is becoming a top priority for investors. As of 2018 more than $30 trillion in funds were held in sustainable or green investments, a rise of 34% in two years. If your business is looking for investment you can be sure that a sustainability strategy will be one of the pre-requisites.

Make direct cost savings: Meanwhile, making offices more energy efficient and reducing and managing waste, can actually save money, as well as spur innovation for new products and services within your business. 

Got questions? Visit www.netzeronow.org/accountants or email info@netzeronow.org today!

 

 

Why Go Net Zero?

Watch this short video to understand why it’s important for your firm to go Net Zero Now.

 

But Don't Just Take Our Word For It...

Many accountancy practices have already joined the Net Zero Accountancy Initiative and have found the programme to be hugely helpful in discovering the areas of the business that they need to focus on.

Watch this video case study with Net Zero Now customer, Grundberg:

Parenting In The Climate Crisis

‍Father's Day reflections on parenting in the climate crisis

As we look forward to celebrating fathers, father figures and all things paternal this Father’s Day, we caught up with Net Zero Now’s very own Nick Hajdu, our Marketing Director, to see what raising two young boys looks like when you’re a climate professional facing into a climate emergency.

Hey Nick, how’s parenthood treating you?

Very well, thanks - I’m lucky to be Dad to two amazing boys – Robin, who’s 10, and Toby, who is 8. It’s funny thinking about parenthood today, knowing that 11 years ago it wouldn’t have crossed my mind to factor climate change into the many considerations you take into account before starting a family. And yet, today, it’s a key part of my life and is something that will shape my kids’ lives enormously, whilst it has also become a key reason that a growing number of people are actively choosing not to have children at all.

How do your concerns about climate change influence family life?

We’re quite an eco-conscious family, so concerns about climate change influence where we choose to holiday, what we choose to eat and some of the activities we give great focus to. We try not to fly and have rediscovered the joys of travelling in the UK, which brings many attendant benefits – like a far superior baggage allowance! We’ve explained to the boys that the reason we’re trying not to fly is that flying is damaging to the planet, and that’s enough for them right now. We do eat meat as a family, but we enjoy many vegetarian meals and the kids are encouraged to grow and eat plenty of fruit and veg. Growing is a good starting point to learning about where food comes from and how we rely on our amazing planet and other creatures – like bees – to feed us. It’s all about encouraging the boys to build a deeper understanding of how our planet supports our lives and helping them to appreciate the beauty that is all around us.   

How do you talk to your kids about climate change?

I guess the short answer is that I reframe most conversations about climate change in terms of what we can do to keep our wonderful planet healthy. My kids are still pretty young, so we have conversations about tree planting, picking up litter and recycling - encouraging them to see that these are good things to do that support a healthy community and environment. We’re focused more on encouraging them to learn about what it means to be a good citizen right now, rather than driving home hard truths about the realities of climate change.

Parents have always had to grapple with questions about the appropriate age to deliver harsh home truths to the kids – like where the meat on their plate comes from, for instance – and, I suppose, climate change is little different in some senses. 

I know as they get older and we cease to be their primary point of socialisation or source of information, we’re not going to be able to protect them as much, but I’m hoping that we can continue to underpin their learning with a belief in better - that we can always do something to make a difference.

‍So what was your thinking around taking your son on a climate march?

It was a big decision to take my eldest son on one of the school strike climate marches. His school was supportive of him being taken out one Friday, as they saw it as a valuable educational experience for him, and we were joined by several other school families. It was also my first march, so I’d been a little worried about what to expect and, like any concerned parent, wanted to ensure that he was protected from any real or perceived threat. The reality was that it was an extremely friendly, enjoyable, fun experience with loads of music – anything but scary. His t-shirt caught the interest of quite a few cameras, so he also had his first experience of being interviewed!

Again, I thought carefully about how to explain what everyone was doing there and told him that we were all here as a group of concerned parents and children to ask the Government to please do more to look after the planet. Simple messages that didn’t alarm, but explained our role as agents of change – and he was more than happy to join in with the ‘systems change not climate change’ chanting whilst sat on my shoulders.

What would you say to other parents who are wondering how to broach the subject of climate change with their kids?

I would encourage parents to get involved in an age appropriate way – whether that’s taking them on climate marches or just ensuring they hear positive messaging about the things we need to do to keep our planet healthy. It’s not something we can ignore, and my kids and their friends will, ultimately be the ones that are going to solve the problem as the climate scientists, engineers, humanitarian workers, activists and economists of tomorrow.

Do you think many parents are carrying a lot of climate anxiety on behalf of their kids?

I personally feel very concerned and worried about the planet. Not a day goes by when I don’t open another newsletter, or several, which sets out a bleak trajectory. I worry about my kids and their children, and it is frightening to think about how increased global temperatures will create numerable crises – heatwaves, flooding, drought, migration, food scarcity and more – that they will have to live through and deal with. Whilst I’m aware of that, I’m certainly not putting that on them. But I do think I have a duty as a dad, in the face of the greatest crisis to face humankind, to ensure my kids are prepared for this. And, as they get older, I’ll make sure that they know more about what to expect to prepare them for the world that they’re going to be living in. I also take some comfort in knowing that I am trying to do something about it while I can.

So, do the kids know that Dad’s a climate super-hero?

Hmm, I’m not sure about that! But I am super proud to be able to work in an organisation that is doing its bit to contribute in a positive way to the problem, and I love going home and being able to explain to them what I’m doing – that, every hour I’m away from them, I commit to working and fighting for a better planet. I certainly have much more pride in what I do today, working for Net Zero Now, than I had spending my days working in a marketing agency, where the goal was driving mass consumption – helping people who didn’t need it to consumer more. I feel better now – as a person and a parent.

‍Happy Father’s Day, Nick. What’s planned?

I’m hoping for a nice, chilled beer in the garden and enjoying some quality time with the kids. That will do me just fine!

Why All Accountancy Firms Should Go Net Zero Now

As the recent record-breaking temperatures have shown, climate change remains a global crisis which is only getting more severe with every passing year.

The government has put in place a legally binding target for the UK to reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 (and cut them 78% by 2035, when compared to 1990 levels). This essentially means that, as a country, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions we produce will have to be balanced against the amount that we remove from the atmosphere.

For us at Net Zero Now we believe that action needs to be taken across the business spectrum far, far sooner than 2050. Businesses of all sizes across the UK must take action to limit their carbon footprint and reduce emissions, and they need to act now.

Accountants sit at the heart of all businesses and as such are a vital catalyst for change. There are over 280,000 accountants in the UK who advise over 5 million businesses and individuals, and so have enormous outreach and opportunity for instigating climate action.

Taking action on climate is good for business too

For the business community, not only does taking climate action benefit the planet, it also makes good business sense.

Customers demand it – A focus on sustainability encourages environmentally-conscious customers to choose you over a less sustainable practice. There are increasingly high expectations for businesses to make a visibly positive impact through their operations, and it has been proved that consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable goods and switch brands based on environmental consideration.

Employees expect it – Current employees inside your company – and prospective new recruits – are likely to value sustainability programmes, which can lead to a widespread improvement in all aspects of staff engagement. Those seeking employment today are also now placing sustainability factors as high on their lists of requirements for a new employer.

Investors require it – ESG is becoming a top priority for investors. As of 2018 more than $30 trillion in funds were held in sustainable or green investments, a rise of 34% in two years. If your business is looking for investment you can be sure that a sustainability strategy will be one of the pre-requisites.

Engaging with the current crisis and developing a credible strategy will allow accountancy firms to play a key role in advising businesses on how to mitigate risks and maximise opportunities. Meanwhile, making offices more energy efficient can actually save you money, as well as spurring innovation for new products and services within your business.

Accountants will play a key role in our carbon future

Increased investor, consumer, government and public pressure to reach Net Zero means that climate litigation is increasing worldwide. And while we already have obligations in place on our larger firms to report on their carbon emissions, we can expect that to soon be rolled out to all UK businesses, no matter their size.

‘Carbon accounting’ as it is known will soon become a requirement for all businesses and it will be our accountancy firms who will be asked to lead the way in tracking and reporting this, as we all embark on the road to Net Zero.

Net Zero. Now.

Net Zero is a pragmatic response to the climate challenge which many large professional service businesses are already working towards, proving that environmentally-conscious companies can operate profitably.

Read more here.