Climate change is considered one of the world’s most important issues and the biggest reason for climate change is the emission of greenhouse gases. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels, coal, deforestation, and clearing of land have caused an increase in the emission of greenhouse gas.
Climate change has been a big Topic in Australia as we have faced devastating bushfires and historic heatwaves. According to The Bureau of Meteorology, 2019 was the hottest year in Australia, which was 1.52°C above average. A decrease in seasons like winter, spring and rainfall can cause an increase in time spent in drought. This means that the temperatures in Australia are going to continue to rise, which will lead to more natural disasters such as bushfires and environmental issues like air pollution.
As individuals, we all can help to reduce carbon emissions by reducing our carbon footprint. The Australian government has implemented initiatives that will motivate businesses to become carbon neutral. One of the initiatives is the Emissions Reduction Fund, which provides businesses with the opportunity to earn Australian carbon credit units. These credits can be applied through adopting new business procedures and technologies. These credits will offset the emissions which will help businesses to achieve carbon-neutral status.
At Walker Wayland NSW, we remain committed to our triple bottom line, being our environmental responsibility, our social responsibility and our financial responsibility. By using environmentally friendly products and maximising the use of technology the team at Walker Wayland continues to reduce its carbon footprint. Being mindful of our social impact, our firm continues to support a range of not-for-profit clients in various industries to achieve their respective goals and objectives whether it be servicing them on a pro-bono basis or organising events such as our annual golf day to raise funds for a selected charity. Our team is dedicated and passionate to invest time in understanding what matters for organisations and highly experienced to deliver practical solutions that are forward-looking. We are also proud to have received our carbon-neutral status as of October 2020, becoming the only second professional accounting services firm in Australia to achieve the carbon-neutral status with Climate Active. This has been achieved through purchasing wind farm carbon credits. Carbon credit units are generated from activities that prevent, reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions being released into the atmosphere.
Wali Aziz, Partner and Head of Audit and Climate Change, is a registered carbon auditor who provides carbon audit and advisory services to organisations that are interested in this initiative.
These services include:
- Assistance in achieving Carbon neutral status in your business
- Emission reduction fund audits
- Partial exemption certificates audits
- Carbon neutrality audits
- Advising businesses on climate-related risks and disclosures within financial reports
Every firm’s decision to reduce carbon emissions will go a long way in shaping the future of the environment in Australia. This begs the question, have you considered your triple bottom line?
