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CFOs and their finance teams

LONDON- UK- 17th Nov 2016. HRH The Prince of Wales convenes global CFO's and other leaders from the finance and accounting community for the annual A4S (Accounting for Sustainability) Summit at St James's Palace in London.
Photograph by Ian Jones

The role of the finance team

Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and their finance teams have a crucial role to play in creating a sustainable future, because they can:

  1. Control the flows of money and finance in the real economy
  2. Provide information that drives good decisions
  3. Influence others to act

A4S engages CFOs and their finance teams by bringing together those who are prepared to lead by example. We equip them with the practical tools, approaches and confidence they need to build sustainability into everything they do.

Together we:

  • Raise awareness of the commercial benefits of sustainability
  • Share insight to accelerate progress
  • Work to develop tools, methodologies and approaches
  • Engage with investors and other stakeholders to create the conditions required to drive system-wide change

Key facts

  • Six in ten of the top global risks faced by businesses are climate related (WEF)
  • Sustainable product sales have grown by nearly 20% since 2014 (Nielsen)
  • Physical climate risk could reduce the value of corporations by an average of 2–3% (Schroders)
  • Unilever’s Sustainable Living brands grew 46% faster than the rest of the business in 2017 and delivered 70% of its turnover growth (Unilever)
     

A4S CFO Programme

CFO Leadership Network

The CFO Leadership Network brings together Chief Financial Officers from large global organizations to show personal leadership on sustainability.

Circles of Practice

Circles of Practice provide CFOs and senior finance professionals with insight, practical guidance and case studies. They are regional or sector-level groups. We currently support Circles of Practice in New Zealand, Australia, Brazil and the UK.

Academy

The A4S Academy is a CFO-sponsored programme, which empowers and equips finance teams with the skills their businesses need to succeed in the face of environmental and social risks and opportunities. The programme is for senior finance professionals.

The A4S Controllers Forum

The A4S Controllers Forum is a convening space for those who are leading, and have oversight of, the delivery of an organisation’s sustainability related data management, the associated control environment and internal and external reporting. 

Events, awards and webinars

LONDON - UK - 16th Nov 2017.Accounting for Sustainability  A4S, CFO and Investor Session held at St James's Palace in London and hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales.
Photograph by Ian Jones for A4S.

We run a variety of events for finance professionals throughout the year, ranging from our annual A4S Summit to virtual workshops and webinars. A4S is also a founding partner of the Finance for the Future Awards, an event that showcases financial leadership in sustainability.

Accounting for Sustainability is a Charitable Incorporated Organization, registered charity number 1195467. Accounting for Sustainability is part of the King Charles III Charitable Fund Group of Charities.
Registered Office: 9 Appold Street, 8th Floor, London, EC2A 2AP