Eastern India’s first Carbon Neutral Conference at 47th Regional Conference organized by Eastern India Regional Council of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)
Kolkata, 23rd December, 2022: The Eastern India Regional Council (EIRC) of ICAI has organised its annual signature event the 47th Regional Conference spread over two days (23rd & 24th December, 2022) at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Kolkata with the theme “उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत – Awakening the Change Within” where in more than 2500 members, finance professionals and others attended the event from all across India.
The 47th Regional Conference organized by ICAI & EIRC was inaugurated by CA (Dr) Debashis Mitra, Hon’ble President, ICAI and was attended by: CA Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, Council Member, ICAI; CA Ravi Kumar Patwa, Chairman, EIRC of ICAI and many other eminent personalities.
On this occasion, CA (Dr) Debashis Mitra, Hon’ble President, ICAI emphasized on the development of Technology and sustainability as per Global Standard. He praised the Carbon Neutrality aspect of the conference which will bring social and community benefits. While talking on G20 Summit 2023, he reiterated the Motto “One Earth One Family One Future” and confirmed the leadership of India and the efforts of the Institute towards this noble cause. He also added that the ICAI utilizes its surplus for the future generation to serve the Nation and to cater for the betterment of the society.
The Theme of the conference was उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत – Awakening the Change within. The Profession of Chartered Accountancy is undergoing a massive change with more thrust on technology which is impacting the profession now-a-days. To adapt to these changes and to maintain the position as trusted advisors for businesses around the world the profession is constantly evolving and adapting in various ways to meet the needs of businesses and clients worldwide. As the world economy is becoming increasingly complex, businesses and organisations are increasingly relying on CAs to provide them with financial advice and guidance. Thus the Chartered Accountants have to be aware of the changes taking place globally and have to be equipped themselves to serve in a changing environment.
This Conference was Eastern India’s first Carbon Neutral Conference. The carbon emissions caused by the event had been neutralized by funding an equivalent amount of carbon savings elsewhere in the world. This is done in the form of renewable energy projects and energy efficiency projects, which bring additional social and community benefits as well as reducing greenhouse gases.
One of the key topics of the Conference was Social Audit and Social Stock Exchange. A social audit is an internal examination of how a particular business is affecting society and serves as a way for a business to see if the actions being taken are being positively or negatively received and relates that information to the company’s overall public image. Social Stock Exchange is a bourse meant to serve the private and non-profit sectors and will help them in raising funds through the exchange. In the era of corporate social responsibility, both the topics were very much relevant.
Another topic of current interest was Sustainability and ESG. The 3 Ps of sustainability are People, Profit, and Planet. Those are the 3 principles upon which sustainability is built and sustainable development achieved. Knowing what the 3Ps of sustainability are and their importance is paramount to achieving our eco-friendly goals. Finding the right balance between the three principles of sustainability should be a very important part of the long-term corporate strategy.
The Conference was spearheaded by the Chairman of the EIRC, CA. Ravi Kumar Patwa along with his team in the Regional Council supported by the Council Members of Eastern Region of the Institute. The participants had a great learning experience in these two days.