A report by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), titled ‘The Climate Tech Forecast,’ reveals that 66% of organisations surveyed consider climate technology to be essential or anticipate its growing importance in the future.
The report, which provides an analysis of the current landscape and prospects of climate technology within organisations, states
that there is a disparity in the level of preparedness among organisations to implement these technologies.
Among the surveyed organisations, 21% are already allocating funds towards climate technology and another 21% intend to invest in the coming two to three years.
While currently 15% of organisations are investing with a clear financial or strategic purpose, growing interest is visible in cautious investment (42%) and non-financial returns such as ESG and brand value (21%), according to the report.
The ACCA’s report identifies energy efficiency, carbon compliance, and sustainable supply chains as key areas of climate technology adoption.
This report points out that green finance, carbon offsetting, and climate risk planning are becoming increasingly important strategic considerations.
ACCA report emphasised the role accountants can play in guiding investments and integrating climate considerations into corporate strategies.
The report highlighted several challenges, including issues with data management, evaluating long-term return on investment, and improving internal capabilities.
Data quality and consistency emerge as the barriers, with 72% of organisations facing challenges in this area.
The report suggested that AI and structured frameworks could play a crucial role in providing significant advantages.
It also underscores the need for government intervention, with most organisations (77%) citing policy support, fiscal incentives, and skill development as key drivers for climate technology adoption.
In response to these findings, ACCA has developed the Climate Technology Readiness and Investment Toolkit, a five-step roadmap to aid organisations and accountants in adopting climate technology.
ACCA sustainability head Emmeline Skelton said: “These investments often involve high upfront costs, long payback periods, and benefits that are more environmental or strategic than immediately financial. However, the true return of climate technology lies in strengthening resilience, reducing long-term risk, and creating sustainable value in the shift to a low-carbon economy.
“Climate tech investments can take time to pay off, but finance teams are central in helping organisations see beyond quick returns.”
Recently, the ACCA urged the UK government to address the issue of late payments by implementing practical solutions that businesses can easily adopt.
