Access is on the path to a green future

by Catherine Woods - Monday, 14th April 2008 -

Access Accounting has a green committee and offers a revolutionary new product to help customers account for their carbon emissions but founder Alistair O'Reilly insists it can’t be considered a truly environmentally-friendly company.

“Access Accounting can’t claim to be a green company,” he says. “It would be great if we could, but we can’t. What I can say is over the last two years, there’s been an increasing awareness of green issues.”

O’Reilly says many environment-focused initiatives the £9m-turnover financial software provider implements come from its employees, of which there are more than 100. “The green committee is now bringing messages to the staff saying ‘you can do this and do that to change the way you manage your lifestyle and improve the way in which you reduce your personal carbon footprint’," O'Reilly notes.

“They’re coming out with regular initiatives, which no doubt they’re getting from the internet and various different organisations, and everyone in the business is becoming more aware of what we can do.”

O’Reilly hopes Access can take “significant steps” to become a green company. He says: “I know that John Beech, the managing director, is exploring a number of initiatives. We’re looking at it and we have good intent. We’re not going to shout about our green credentials; perhaps we will in the future.”

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