Announced at ICAEW’s Sustainability Summit on 9 November, ICAEW and the Met Office are working together to boost accountancy professionals’ knowledge on climate science.

The collaboration combines the Met Office's word-leading expertise in climate science and ICAEW's experience in accountancy, finance, and business leadership to support members and students to embed climate intelligence into their roles.

The aim is to strengthen trust and confidence in decision making, economic resilience and business competitiveness. The partnership also aims to help drive high-quality financial reporting and sustainability disclosures related to these risks and opportunities, alongside the robust audit and assurance of that information.

The partnership will generate a series of learning and development materials, the first of which will be a webinar in early 2027.

The materials will be based latest science and data from the Met Office, including research that has informed international climate assessments, such as reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the UK’s latest climate risk assessment.

Alan Vallance, ICAEW Chief Executive, said: “This partnership reflects ICAEW’s ambitions to lead conversations on the issues that matter to the profession and business, and to strengthen the expertise and capabilities of our members and students for future success.

“Boosting understanding of climate and sustainability intelligence to improve financial decision making is integral to both ambitions and to advancing the transition to resilient, competitive economies.”

Professor Jason Lowe OBE, Met Office Principal Fellow and lead on climate services, said: “By providing authoritative climate data, projections and scientific expertise, the Met Office will support ICAEW in translating this intelligence and thought leadership into professional practice.

“Understanding the changing climate and the application of the science for the finance and accountancy profession will empower the industry to better assess climate risks, improve high-quality sustainability reporting and realise the opportunities from climate action.”

Ravi Abeywardana, ICAEW Director of Sustainability Reporting and Assurance, highlighted that with climate volatility increasingly affecting businesses around the world the partnership had come at an important time.

“This partnership will help accountancy and finance professionals interpret climate information and translate it into practical action,” he said.

“Better use of climate intelligence can support investment and operational decisions, strengthen financial performance and resilience, and improve financial reporting and sustainability disclosures, assurance and risk management. In doing so, the partnership reinforces ICAEW’s role in connecting developments in climate science with the practical needs of the profession, business and the wider economy.”