As a firm manager, bringing carbon accounting into your practice isn’t just about new compliance needs - it's about leading your team into a valuable new service line that supports your clients and strengthens your firm.
Here's how to guide your team through the "why," highlight the opportunity for them, and point them to the tools and training that will help them succeed.
1. The Why: Why Our Firm is Getting into Carbon Accounting
The world is changing fast, more businesses are being asked to report on their carbon emissions. From supply chain pressure to new regulation, even small and medium clients are facing questions they don’t yet know how to answer.
That’s where we come in. Our clients already trust us with their financials - carbon is the natural next step. Just like financial reporting, carbon reporting relies on good data, sound methodology, and audit-ready outputs. We’re uniquely positioned to help.
By offering carbon accounting, we’re doing three things:
- Helping our clients meet new requirements with confidence
- Building a new, high-value advisory offering for the firm
- Giving our team future-ready skills that will be in growing demand
This isn’t a fad. It’s a shift, and we’re going to lead it.
2. The Opportunity: What This Means for You
You don’t need to be a climate scientist. If you know your way around a general ledger, you’re already halfway there.
As we roll this out, team members will have opportunities to:
- Lead carbon assessments for existing clients
- Build capability in a fast-emerging area of accounting
- Strengthen relationships and open new doors with clients
- Develop transferable skills that enhance your career
This is the kind of work that makes a difference - for clients, the environment, and your own professional development.
3. Learning the Ropes: Your Guide to Sumday Academy
To help you get started, we’re using Sumday - a carbon accounting platform built specifically for accountants and advisors. Every team member will have access to the Sumday Academy, which includes:
- Introduction to Carbon Accounting (8-10 hours): Practical, self-paced training on the essentials
- Role-specific courses for finance, procurement, and advisory work
- Access to a help desk staffed by ex-auditors and carbon accounting pros
The Academy is built for busy professionals - it's there when you need it, and gives you everything you need to get started confidently.
4. Next Steps: What You Can Expect
In the coming weeks, we’ll:
- Schedule a team session to walk through how carbon accounting fits into our work
- Assign first training modules in the Academy
- Identify pilot clients where we can put these new skills into practice
This is an exciting moment for our firm. Let’s build something meaningful together.
If you have any questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to ask or explore the Sumday Academy directly. Let’s get started.