SimplyBiz has announced a partnership with Net Zero Now to provide priority access for its member firms to the climate expert’s platform and certification programme.

Net Zero Now is a carbon accounting and climate action platform, designed to help businesses of all sizes fight climate change. It provides a simple and affordable route to Net Zero for advisers, with accreditation and promotion built in to mark the achievements of key milestones on a firm’s journey to net zero.

SimplyBiz’s parent company, Fintel, was one of Net Zero Now’s founding development partners, alongside Liontrust, and continues to support the evolution of the ‘Net Zero Financial Adviser Protocol’. The Protocol, which will be available to interested SimplyBiz members along with the carbon accounting software and certification, provides a clear path to net zero for advisers, aligned with the global guidelines on carbon accounting.

Marc Thompson, adviser services director of SimplyBiz, said: “With the financial services sector’s growing focus on ESG in recent years helping to raise awareness around climate change, we know that many advisers want to start moving their business towards net zero.

“Our partnership with Net Zero Now will help our members to understand the journey to net zero, set realistic, meaningful, goals, and support the promotion of their achievements to clients.”

Neil Ross Russell, managing director of Net Zero Now, added: “People care about the planet, and those people are advisers’ clients, employees and, increasingly, Government regulators. So, whatever the emissions of an adviser’s day-to-day activities, being able to show these stakeholders that minimising emissions is being actively managed makes commercial sense.

“The climate crisis is one of the key challenges of our age – advisers need to make sure they don’t get left behind.”