At Baker Tilly, the ESG commitments we help our clients achieve are the same standards we uphold within our own organisation.
And that’s true of the team at MHA. Their pioneering efforts in establishing a Centre of Excellence for Sustainability Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), coupled with their Dynamic ESG program and leadership in regulatory and compliance standards, have set a high benchmark for the accounting industry – and themselves.
“We practice what we preach. We do internally what we promise to our clients. We are all in.”
From internal policies…
Guided by a standalone ESG team ensuring accountability to globally recognised frameworks, MHA have made a conscious decision to embed UN Sustainable Development Goals across all their activities, aiming for full integration rather than oblique disclosures.
The firm integrates the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact into their day-to-day activities, achieving these through regulation focusing on modern slavery, gender pay gap, ESOS and SECR, and anti-corruption ethical standards.
With a metrics-driven roadmap to becoming a Net Zero organisation by 2030, MHA will be aligning their 2024 reduction targets with the Science Based Target Initiative accreditation scheme, committing to the highest global standard for long-term decarbonisation goals. Recognising the importance of Beyond Value Chain Mitigation, the firm has partnered with Ecologi to plant a tree for every new employee through a virtual forest initiative.
They are also working towards establishing a national charitable and volunteering structure to unify and amplify the impact and passion their people have for giving back to their local communities, with a clear purpose to improve access to financial education for the next generation.
… to global influence
MHA was the first UK national tier 2 accounting practice to establish an audit and accountancy Centre of Excellence for Sustainability ESG. This initiative integrates non-binding regulations, UNSDGs and GRI 400 societal standards, focusing on SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Their bespoke Dynamic ESG programme, created back in 2019, is designed to transform business behaviours, particularly in high-emitting and polluting sectors. Basic compliance is a legal requirement. This program elevates impact assessment, materiality coverage, and societal evaluation to higher standards, ahead of EU requirements.
The firm has helped over 90% of their clients achieve compliance with mandatory and voluntary ESG reporting.
MHA were the only non-EU firm to engage with the EU Commission on a recent forum for regulatory reporting challenges. And they were also part of the Regulatory Reform engagement with the UK Government.
Building a brighter tomorrow
And it doesn’t stop there.
MHA sponsors the Rural Policy Group, focused on food security and supply chain fairness. Achievements include reaching 5,000 UK businesses, holding over 30 events, producing four researched FTSE County Valuation reports, and presenting findings to UK government departments annually. The group has supported £78 million in rural investment across the UK to date.
Later in 2024, MHA will launch their charitable foundation, with a strong focus on fundraising and volunteering at local, national and international levels.
Their inaugural Sustainability ESG Impact Report will also be published in 2024. Providing data-backed progress updates on their ESG journey, the report will celebrate their successes, acknowledge the challenges they face and set bold goals for the years ahead.
Discover more about how our team at MHA is making a difference for their people, clients, communities and our planet now, for tomorrow.
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