“Business awareness of sustainability and climate change issues has grown even stronger over the last year,” said Ian Powell, PwC UK chairman and senior partner. “Sustainability remains the most important issue we are going to have to deal with over the coming decades,” he added.

The firm’s overall turnover rose by 4% to £2.3 billion ($3.5 billion) for the year ended 30 June, but the advisory and consulting business, which contains the sustainability and climate change practice, grew by 9% to £804 million.

In a statement following the results, Malcolm Preston, UK and global sustainability leader, said: “The profile the Copenhagen summit gave to climate change issues moved conversations with clients to a different level. We’re doing around twice the level of work we were doing last year.”

PwC has been hired by more than half of the world’s 20 largest airlines to be their auditors and verifiers for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, and the firm also reported a sharp increase in business from companies seeking third-party verification and auditing of their corporate social responsibility reports.

The firm’s dedicated UK sustainability and climate change practices now numbers over 700, of whom 100 are in London. Over the next 12 months, the firm said it plans to recruit further specialists to advise on carbon market economics, forestry and ecosystems, international development, supply chain issues and assurance.

Graham Cooper