A new project between Macquarie University and CPA Australia will help accountants better measure and report on the energy efficiency of businesses.

 

The partner organisations were awarded a $241,139 competitive grant by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH), for the development of an Energy Efficiency Training Program for accounting and business management projects.

 

The program will consist of three courses that focus on training for practicing accountants with Small to Medium Enterprises and personal clients; training for accountants in improving greenhouse gas measurement and reporting in large energy users, and; developing dedicated sections on accounting and reporting for energy efficiency within undergraduate and postgraduate units at Macquarie.

 

Project manager Associate Professor Lorne Cummings of Macquarie’s Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance, said the initiative has enormous potential for enhancing energy efficiency within organisations across NSW.

 

“To be able to partner with CPA Australia, which has a membership in excess of 130,000 covering private, government and not-for-profit organisations across Australia and internationally, is just phenomenal,” he said.

 

“The OEH and NSW Government should be congratulated for their foresight and for tackling the issue in such a comprehensive way – looking at creating awareness and training accountants to measure and report on energy efficiency across the entire value chain process.”