Finance for the Future Awards 2016 Finalists Announced

The shortlist for this year’s Finance for the Future Awards is unveiled by the founding organisations, ICAEW and A4S, and their partner Deloitte.

The awards recognise finance functions that demonstrate sustainable business practices throughout their operations. Now in its fifth year, the winners will be announced in London at an awards ceremony on 13 October 2016.

The Finance for the Future Awards celebrate and recognise the role of the finance function within organisations, and the wider finance community, in helping to build resilient organisations through embedding environmental and broader social issues into their decision making. Since the inaugural awards in 2012, they have continued to grow and this year sees the addition of two new categories. These include the awards for communicating integrated thinking and investing and financing. 2015 winners included Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission, Carbon Tracker Initiative and Sussex Community NHS Trust.

The 2016 categories and finalists are:

Large business – Recognises businesses with a turnover of more than £100m or more than 1,000 employees:

• Auckland Airport
• Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company
• Skanska UK
• United Utilities

Public sector and third sector – Recognises those organisations that are (part of) a government department or local authority, charities or not-for-profit organisations:

• Climate Disclosure Standards Board
• Forest Enterprise England, an agency of the Forestry Commission
• HM Treasury

Communicating integrated thinking – Recognises organisations that demonstrate a sustainable business model through the use of “integrated thinking” in communications:

• CLP Holdings
• Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Company
• DBS
• John Lewis Partnership
• Novo Nordisk
• United Utilities

Investing and financing – Recognises organisations that advise on financial products and investors whose activity has had sustainable outcomes:

• Bridges Ventures
• CCLA Investment Management
• Easypaisa
• WHEB Asset Management

Innovative new idea – Recognises groups or individuals that have developed new and innovative ideas that will have tangible impacts on one or more of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development:

• Armen Papazian, Finoptek
• OnGen
• Prospus Group
• The Public Services Lab (PSL) – a joint venture established by integrated services provider Interserve, social finance experts ClubFinance, social business Catch22 and independent financial institute with a social mission Big Society Capital

Richard Spencer, Head of Sustainability at ICAEW said: “These finalists have made the grade because their finance function has showed tremendous dedication to addressing the serious environmental and social challenges we face. They have demonstrated that they not only understand the critical need for sustainability to be embedded at the heart of their operations, but how finance can lead the way in integrating this across all levels of their business. Transformational change will only come by changing the way that we view and do business, and these are the companies that are leading the way.”

Jessica Fries, Executive Chairman at A4S said: “Finance has a vital role to play in creating sustainable business. This year’s finalists provide inspiration, showing how economic, social and environmental challenges can be tackled through integration into decision making, benefiting both the organization itself and society as a whole.”

Veronica Poole, global IFRS leader and UK head of accounting at Deloitte, said: “This year’s shortlist emphasises the global reach of these awards. For the first time the awards are specifically rewarding the communication of integrated thinking. A strong list of entrants for the new category demonstrates that for many companies around the globe the dialogue with investors and other providers of financial capital is becoming more focused on sustainable business models that deliver long-term value.”

For more information, please visit: www.financeforthefuture.co.uk