Intangible assets have become a major consideration for investors, making up 90% of all enterprise value on the S&P 500. Yet our accounting system has failed to adapt, with real implications for sustainability. Our columnist suggests a simple fix.
In his latest Nicholls & Dimes column, Jeremy Nicholls applies Monty Python’s analysis of the Roman Empire to current challenges of reporting performance on ESG and corporate impact – and concludes that charities already have the answer.
In the latest in our Nicholls & Dimes column, social value expert Jeremy Nicholls explains why audit and assurance are the heroes we need on our quest if we are to understand what impact is and how to grow it.
We need ‘warrior accountants’ who must do more than help “standardise ESG”, warns Jeremy Nicholls. The risks of depending on declining environmental resources or below-standard working conditions must also be “managed and reported".
Do we really care about the ability of organisations to make money at the same time as value for others? We must close the gap between what businesses report on and what they are held legally accountable for, argues Jeremy Nicholls.
“But how can it be neutral?” In the first of our new Nicholls & Dimes series, social value expert Jeremy Nicholls responds to the former Bank of England Governor – and asks how eminent economists can ignore the fundamental role of accounting.
