The Big Four of Accounting Will Be Among the Big Winners if U.S. Adopts Climate Law

Good paying greencollar jobs. From Climatewire via the New York Times:

Having helped companies explore the labyrinth of greenhouse gas regulation in Europe, the Big Four auditing and accounting firms are now moving quickly to build climate and carbon shops in the United States. Their goal is to stake claim to a business that could one day rival tax compliance and financial disclosure in size and scope.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers are the undisputed giants of the auditing, tax advisory and business consulting world. They boast a client list that includes thousands of the biggest names in the corporate world.

The four are already well-known in Europe for their carbon footprint accounting, abatement strategy consulting and emissions disclosure services as industries on the other side of the Atlantic are forced to comply with the European Union's Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), but so far, their presence in America's nascent carbon market has barely been recognized.

But that's about to change. All four firms are in the midst of shifting experienced staff from places such as London and Copenhagen to New York and Washington. They are leaning on climate experts from as far away as South Africa and Australia in setting up their carbon desks here. Representatives from the firms are also more frequently seen at carbon market conferences as staff familiarize themselves with the basics of emissions trading in the United States....MORE