Finance for the Future Awards – Recognising financial leadership in driving sustainability
NatWest, The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project and ICAEW are launching the Finance for the Future Awards to recognise and reward financial leadership that embeds sustainability into businesses and organisations.
The Finance for the Future Awards aim to be distinct from other awards in the marketplace which mainly focus on green issues, environmental and corporate responsibility. Few awards look at sustainability from a finance perspective, in particular taking a long-term view of capital allocation, investment and risk management to drive a better and more sustainable return.
Our awards focus on embedding sustainability within an organisation as well as rewarding new thinking. They will seek to identify innovative approaches to finance and business that have supported fundamental changes in the business rather than the financial reporting of sustainability.
Entrants for the awards must be able to demonstrate how they have allocated financial capital effectively to create long-term value, with a business case outlining why the investment was worthwhile and what corporate behaviours are driving the value creation.
These awards will focus not just on the outcomes but on how those outcomes are achieved and in particular on the role that the financing of the business and the finance function has to play in achieving these outcomes.
The awards will be open to all UK and international businesses with activities in the UK in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
The award objectives
- Rewarding financial leadership that promotes business decisions for long-term sustainable value. The awards will look for outstanding examples of leadership from the finance function that have had a measurable impact on an organisation’s decision-making, risk management and capital investment over the long term and thereby encouraged a shift in corporate behaviour.
- Encouraging and celebrating accounting for sustainability as a key to embedding sustainability into a business’s organisational thinking and activity. The awards will recognise that the financing of the business and process for assessing business decisions can have a significant impact in driving long-term sustainable value.
- Focusing on innovation and new ideas, and particularly on the way the business assesses new ideas to create sustainable value for the long term and/or finances those ideas or innovations.
- Sharing best practice through development of case studies and educational resources based on the experiences of the nominees and winners so that the awards themselves become sustainable.
Finalists will be invited to attend a presentation ceremony in June 2012 in London where winners will be announced.
Winners will receive:
- Recognition as a leader in driving long-term sustainable value
- Profile for your organisation through case studies which will demonstrate your achievements
- An invitation to join the Finance for the Future Awards Alumni
- Invitations to a range of events
- A trophy and certificate
The awards are developed and organised by NatWest, The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project and ICAEW. Visit the Finance for the Future Awards website here.
Matty Yates: Head of International Network, The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project:
“Since The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S) was established seven years ago, we have highlighted the unique position and crucial role of the CFO and finance function in driving a resilient, profitable business. An organisation that strives to achieve long term sustainable value relies upon financial leadership to bring extensive business benefits, ranging from the allocation of financial capital effectively to create long term value, richer access to capital markets and an increase in employee engagement. Finance professionals are key to taking a long term view of capital allocation, investment and risk management to drive a better and more sustainable return for the organisation. That is why A4S is so excited to be a co-founder for an award that recognises financial leadership in embedding sustainability within an organisation.”
The panel at the Finance for the Future Awards launch
Guests at the Awards launch, LSO St Luke's, London
