RSM’s Rich Hall named first UK Accounting for Nature accredited auditor

RSM professional Rich Hall has become the UK’s first Accounting for Nature (AfN) accredited auditor. According to the firm, this will enhance RSM’s ESG offering, as it adapts its services for the fast-emerging nature accounting and assurance market.

Accounting for Nature is an accreditation which certifies the holder’s ability to deliver independent environmental audits. It is aimed at better informing investment, policy and management decisions in natural capital, such as carbon, soil, water and biodiversity.

So far, 110 experts and auditors have obtained the award, which shows they are capable of working to Accounting for Nature’s global environmental accounting standard, and to certify credible, verified nature claims for clients. According to RSM’s UK wing, the first professional to be accredited in Britain is among the firm’s ranks.

Rich Hall is an ESG expert, with more than 20 years of experience leading sustainability and assurance projects in the UK and globally. As he continues to support businesses with sustainable financial reporting, becoming an Accounting for Nature accredited auditor expands the services of RSM’s growing ESG team, and strategically enhances its offering in the UK market.

Rich Hall, consulting partner and Head of ESG and Sustainability services at RSM UK and Ireland, said; “This is a major strategic milestone for our ESG practice. We are at the forefront of the fast-emerging nature accounting and assurance market… The incorporation of nature into financial decision-making is moving from aspiration to requirement. Whether it’s an agricultural business, investment firm or corporation with nature-related risks, the scientific approach translates ecological health into economic terms helping to better integrate nature into commercial decisions. This adds credibility to our clients’ sustainability strategies, which is an increasingly powerful tool for businesses and policy makers.”

Taking stock of the accreditation, Adrian Ward, chief executive officer at Accounting for Nature, added that the news accreditation represents “an important milestone” in the expansion of independently assured Environmental Accounting. While RSM Australia has delivered independent assurance across certified environmental accounts for several years, this latest development “extends that capability internationally.”

“Transparent and accountable investment in nature depends on rigorous, third-party verification; and we welcome the role Rich and his team will play in upholding that standard,” Ward concluded. “As a respected sustainability professional, Rich Hall’s appointment as the first Accredited Auditor under the Accounting for Nature framework in the UK strengthens global capacity for credible, science-based reporting on nature.”