University of West London Accounting students explore career pathways in green finance
Intro
Sixty-five students from the Claude Littner Business School (CLBS) at the University of West London engaged in a careers advice session on green skills and finance roles recently. The event was conducted by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the world’s largest professional accountancy body, which accredits several of UWL’s courses.
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Speakers included ACCA Fellows Victoria Gillespie, who is Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) at Alter Domus, and James Lizars, CEO of Thrive Accountants. They shared their career journeys from traditional accounting to more sustainable finance/ESG-focused roles. The session was moderated by Executive Director of Relationships at ACCA Lucia Real-Martin.
Dr Dinusha Weerawardane, Subject Head for Accounting and Finance at UWL, commented:
Accounting and finance professionals have a very important role to play in driving the transition to a greener global economy; not only do they have to ensure that sustainability is at the heart of decision making but they also need to advocate for responsible business practices in the public interest.
I am delighted that we have been able to work collaboratively with ACCA to give our students the opportunity to broaden their perspectives and understand career opportunities in the sustainable finance arena. We are also continuously embedding aspects of sustainability in our courses to further expand our students’ green skillset.”
During the event, Lucia Real-Martin explored the skills that accountants can bring to assist businesses in their journey to net zero:
Professional accountants have a holistic view of their organisation and therefore a strategic one. We believe that by combining those technical, strategic, and ethical skills, they would be very well-placed to drive the sustainability journey for many organisations.”
Shafinaz Shaikh, a Level 5 accounting student who attended, found the session helpful in understanding the opportunities related to green finance:
It made me realise the power we hold as future professional accountants in shaping a sustainable world. It also gave me the chance to network with professionals and get in-depth answers to my questions about this specialist area.”
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