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ICAEW Climate Essay Competition 2024

Author: ICAEW

Published: 08 Jul 2024

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, and it requires urgent and collective action from all sectors of society. The accountancy profession has a vital role to play in driving and supporting climate action, both within and beyond their organisations.

Aimed at students and recently qualified members, ICAEW held its second annual climate essay competition asking entrants to submit a 5,000-word essay, video, podcast, or other media format, answering the question, ‘Accountants as Climate Champions: why and how should the profession lead on climate action’.

2024 Winner

Download the essay

Sofia Tziortzi, an ICAEW student, submitted the winning entry, providing her unique and personal perspective on the role of accountants in leading on climate action. The views expressed are those of individual and do not represent the employer.

Earth's southern hemisphere with a silvery cityscape on top of it

Participating in the ICAEW Climate Essay Competition challenged me to rethink the role of the accountancy profession in achieving net zero, and in particular, how existing corporate reporting frameworks can hinder meaningful climate action. With the accelerating rate of climate change and the emergence of more rigorous reporting frameworks, such as the ISSB standards and the EU’s CSRD, sustainability is now a necessity for all organisations. As accounting professionals, it is our duty to start educating ourselves on these new developments, and participating in the ICAEW Climate Essay Competition provided a great start for me!

Sofia Tziortzi
To see previous winners, visit ICAEW Climate Essay Competition 2023.