What role do advisors play?
Sumday empowers accountants to support businesses with carbon accounting
The Evolving Role of Accountants and Finance Teams in Carbon Accounting
At Sumday, we believe advisors, accountants, and bookkeepers are pivotal in driving the shift to make carbon accounting as transparent and robust as financial accounting. This transformation is no longer just an idea for the future—it’s a necessity for businesses today.
With the support of finance professionals, businesses can integrate carbon accounting seamlessly into their existing processes. Advisors often have access to much of the necessary data and can help improve systems to address low-quality or missing information. Their expertise in transparent reporting standards is invaluable in elevating the credibility and reliability of carbon data.
The Advisor’s Role in Carbon Accounting
Providing carbon accounting services allows you to:
- Maintain leadership of your client relationships, ensuring you oversee and understand how emissions data is calculated and verified.
- Lay a strong foundation for sustainability advisory work, enabling you to guide emission reduction strategies effectively.
- Ensure rigorous data quality and transparency, critical for compliance and meaningful progress.
Advisors who outsource this work or rely solely on third-party tools often face questions like:
- How was this data calculated?
- What emission factors were used, and what assumptions underpin them?
- Is there a clear audit trail and supporting work papers?
- Does the carbon data reconcile with financial records?
Managing the process yourself means you bring your professional judgment and expertise to every step, delivering a service that clients can trust.
Next Steps: Delivering a Baseline GHG Emissions Assessment
The first engagement for many clients is a baseline GHG emissions assessment aligned with the GHG Protocol. This involves:
- Identifying emissions sources, such as electricity, fuel, purchased goods, and travel.
- Using existing accounting data to gather initial inputs.
- Producing a comprehensive report that becomes the foundation for future emissions reduction work.
What Comes After the Baseline?
Once the baseline is established, you can expand into advisory services, helping clients prioritise projects, build business cases for emissions reduction, and measure progress. The baseline assessment often reveals opportunities for high-impact initiatives that align with your expertise.
Explore resources for building business cases and accessing templates in our Your First Client section. Sumday is here to support you every step of the way.