Stakeholder demand sparks Evan Taylor's sustainability journey

A prospective client started the team at Evan Taylor Chartered Accountants on their sustainability journey. The carboNZero certified client was looking for a likeminded supplier, willing to achieve carboNZero certification themselves.

After reviewing the programme, Evan Taylor, Director, and Tom Irwin, Accountant, realised that carboNZero certification would help them view their business through a “carbon lens” – and in doing so reduce costs and improve efficiency. It would also give them credibility when advising other clients to find efficiency through carbon reduction.

That made the decision to sign up a no-brainer. “We decided that joining the carboNZero programme was a good thing to do from both a business and environmental perspective,” says Tom. “An important factor was that carboNZero is highly regarded and well known. But ultimately, we chose certification because it provides us with tools and knowledge we wouldn't be able to obtain on our own and an independent verification of our performance."

Whilst client demand started the journey, Evan and Tom are already seeing the benefits of understanding the source of their largest carbon emissions. “It was interesting to see exactly how much impact motor vehicle use had on our carbon footprint, when compared with electricity”, says Tom. “Because of this, our main reduction project will be to reduce emissions from vehicle use. There are a range of things we are looking at such as using remote meeting technology and investing in electric vehicles.”

Stakeholder feedback has mostly been positive, however, they have encountered some scepticism. Rather than seeing that as a roadblock, Evan Taylor Chartered Accountants are using that as an opportunity to start a discussion about carbon emissions and sustainability.

“When we’ve had pushback, we have treated it as an opportunity to engage in a conversation and improve others understanding on how the certification works and why we are doing it,” says Tom. “We’re hoping it means that, just like us, they will start focusing on their own impact”.

Congratulations, Evan Taylor Chartered Accountants!

We look forward to working with you to create a sustainable low carbon future.

Find out more about carboNZero certification.