Dr Amelia Sharman is being hosted by the Department of Accountancy and Finance as this semester’s Executive in Residence.
Sustainability reporting key to driving change
Sustainability is going to touch all areas of business and Otago Business School students need to understand the concepts and the language, Dr Amelia Sharman says.
Dr Sharman, who has an extensive background in climate and sustainability policy, is being hosted by the Department of Accountancy and Finance as this semester’s Executive in Residence. Based in Wellington, she is the Director Sustainability Reporting at the External Reporting Board, the independent Crown Entity responsible for developing and issuing reporting standards on accounting, audit and assurance, and climate, for entities across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
On campus this week, Dr Sharman is talking with staff and students about the work of the External Reporting Board and to highlight the importance of reporting as a mechanism to understand and respond to sustainability challenges.
“Reporting is a key enabler for change and the climate reporting standards that we’ve developed are one of a number of Government initiatives that are driving this change. Sustainability reporting has the potential to take reporting to the next level in terms of the impact businesses have on people, places and communities,” says Dr Sharman.
She adds that initiatives like the University of Otago’s Climate and Energy Finance Group are also helping to drive change in this area.
On 15 September, she will deliver a Business for Good seminar explaining the role of reporting in achieving the transformation New Zealand businesses need to survive and thrive in the face of climate change and other sustainability challenges.