Duncan & Toplis ‘On the Road to Net Zero’ by 2032

One of the largest accountants and business advisers in the Midlands, Duncan & Toplis, is aiming to reduce its total carbon emissions to zero within the next five to eight years.

The group’s plans have been scrutinised by sustainability platform, Net Zero Now, which says Duncan & Toplis is officially ‘On the Road to Net Zero’.

The formal recognition comes after Duncan & Toplis signed up to the platform’s Net Zero Accountancy Initiative and made a series of green commitments to start the journey to eliminating its overall carbon footprint.

Sally-Anne Hurn, Sustainability Champion at Duncan & Toplis, said:

“We’re thrilled to have started our journey to becoming a Net Zero Accountancy Practice. We know our team, clients and the local community want to see us take action on climate change, and understanding the sources of our emissions is the first step in doing this.

“We’re determined to reduce our emissions and build a more sustainable future for our business, the local community and our planet.”

To achieve the ‘On the Road to Net Zero’ certification, Duncan & Toplis was required to conform with the criteria of the net zero sector protocol and make climate commitments including:

• Completing an annual carbon footprint calculation

• Taking action to achieve targets to support restricting global warming to less than 1.5 degrees

• Compensating for residual emissions

• Agreeing to publish greenhouse gas emissions data

The group has now calculated its greenhouse gas emissions and is taking targeted steps to reduce these emissions so that it can reach its net zero target by 2032. As part of this, it is continuing to implement its Green Initiative Policy which includes green space transformation, reducing energy use and minimising waste.

Net Zero Now estimates that accountancy practices in the UK are responsible for nearly half a million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year - the equivalent of the emissions from over 100,000 cars being driven for a year.

Neil Ross Russell, Managing Director at Net Zero Now, said:

“It’s a pleasure to have Duncan & Toplis join us on the journey to becoming a net zero business. The accountancy sector has an enormous role to play in the transition of our economy to net zero, both through reducing its own emissions and in its influence on other businesses.

“I encourage more accountancy practices to follow Duncan & Toplis’ lead and get on board.”

To find out more about Duncan & Toplis, visit www.duncantoplis.co.uk. For more information about Net Zero Now, visit www.netzeronow.org.