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FROM: SEP-OCT 2007 ISSUE | BY PEGGY HOMAN, EDITOR
Some have said it’s not easy being green. But perhaps it is easier than many people think. More and more individuals and businesses are choosing to make a difference by opting for socially responsible practices and products. And those choices are affecting the bottom line of numerous companies and the very nature of how they do business.
According to a recent special report in The Economist, “Businesses in every sector boast about their greenness...Yet the corporate world’s sudden conversion to greenery is not just fluff.” The article makes another point: “Firms that seem to be on the right side of the argument have a better chance of pulling in clever, idealistic young people to work for them.” This consideration cannot be underestimated in overcoming the challenge of recruiting and retaining talented employees.
In some areas, businesses are leading the way in socially responsible practices. One such example is the growing trend of producing corporate sustainability reports. Given accountants are often involved in the preparation of these reports, we’ve devoted a feature article to this timely topic.
Furthermore, CGA-Canada and its U.K.-based partner, the ACCA, share a mutual interest in corporate sustainability reporting, and both associations have worked to draw attention to the contributions accountants are making in this area, as evidenced by CGA-Canada’s Measuring Up: A Study on Corporate Sustainability Reporting in Canada, and the ACCA’s long-running awards program. (The ACCA was the first organization to introduce awards for environmental reporting and is now involved in sustainability awards in more than 20 countries.)
Our career feature profiles one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 - a dynamic entrepreneur with a passion for achievement who is leading the way in creatively overcoming challenges both in and outside the office. And be sure to read the words of another effective leader, as it is Jackie Poirier’s last column as chair of CGA-Canada. We’ll introduce you to the 2007-08 chair in the next issue of CGA Magazine.
A final note: I encourage you to challenge yourself to think about the ways in which you can meet one of the great leadership challenges of our time, as opportunities abound for CGAs to be socially responsible green leaders.
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