In what seems an important professionalisation milestone for carbon accounting, UK trade body the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP) has launched a new course specification for the sector, allowing training providers to develop and run accredited courses for the first time. This attempt to set professional standards is expected to help efforts to prevent greenwashing and to underpin trust in the net-zero transition.
With hundreds of thousands of businesses globally expected to face mandatory carbon reporting in the coming years, the lack of professional standards for carbon accountants has prompted ISEP and the Carbon Accounting Alliance to develop an independent Register of Carbon Accountants and Auditors (RCAA), which is due to launch next year.
The development of the register began with establishing a Competency Framework earlier this year, which sets out the vital knowledge, skills and qualifications needed to ensure carbon accounting is performed to the highest standards. This included 15 competencies for entry-level Associate Carbon Accountants, a further 15 at Registered level and another 17 at the level of Principal Carbon Accountant.
The next step was for ISEP to develop an Associate Certificate in Carbon Accounting course that equips entry-level carbon accountants with a comprehensive foundational understanding of the profession, drawing on internationally recognised frameworks and ethical standards. This was overseen by ISEP’s Professional Standards Committee and involved consultation with ISEP members, CAA members and the wider profession.
The ISEP accredited Associate Certificate in Carbon Accounting will equip participants with the knowledge and skills to be able to support organisational and project-level climate strategies with integrity and competence.
By the end of the course learners will be able to understand and deliver:
- The principles of accounting, applying basic financial accounting concepts to carbon accounting and their ethical responsibilities to prevent greenwashing.
- Goals and limitations of carbon accounting for organisations, products/services and projects, such as scopes of emissions and the principles and purposes of baselining.
- Relevant frameworks such as the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Management Hierarchy, ISO standards, and regulatory and voluntary reporting.
- How data is used and communicated, such as the differences between market and location-based emissions, and the principles of data uncertainty, materiality and a risk-based approach.
- Communication, in line with global best practices, such as the ability to write a GHG methodology report and applying data analysis and mapping skills.
ISEP Senior Climate Policy Lead Chloë Fiddy, said: “Carbon accounting is key skill for businesses to be able to understand, quantify and reduce their carbon footprint and ultimately their contribution to climate change. Outcomes that go to the core of any organisation’s operational efficiency and wider reputation.
“However, carbon accounting is not regulated in any jurisdiction, and until ISEP developed them in consultation with ISEP members, CAA members and the wider profession, there were no recognised industry standards or professional competencies in place to ensure people performing these duties for businesses were accurate, transparent and accountable.
“And carbon accountants must be accountable to underpin the credibility of net-zero efforts and to ensure businesses maintain trust with government, investors, and customers.
“Our first step to cement the credibility and integrity of the profession, was to develop a set of professional competencies against which carbon accountants can be assessed.
“Next was the development of this first certified course to provide a clear training pathway for aspiring or practicing carbon accountants to ensure they have necessary knowledge and skills to meet those competencies.
“And finally next year we will launch the Register of Carbon Accountants and Auditors to provide a clear, credible way for individuals and organisations to demonstrate their qualifications and experience in carbon accounting to clients, regulatory bodies, and voluntary reporting schemes.”
Dr Toby Green, Chair of the CAA’s Professionalisation and Training Working Group, said: “For a long time, carbon accounting has operated in a grey area without the professional standards needed to build real trust. This course is a huge step forward in changing that.
“As Chair of the CAA’s working group, I’ve seen first-hand the demand for a clear, credible pathway that ensures practitioners have the right skills to prevent greenwashing and deliver robust, defensible work.
“I’m incredibly excited to see this launch, as it’s the critical foundation for building the trusted, expert-led profession that the net-zero transition depends on.”
