Deloitte fined, PwC pledges zero emissions & more…Keep up with the latest accountancy and finance news in our weekly round-up…

Accountancy industry in hiring spree amid downturn

Accounting firms continue to hire, despite the precarious situation of both the UK and global economy.

UK watchdog to accuse KPMG of breaches in Carillion audit

The UK’s accountancy watchdog has said it has delivered an initial report of KPMG’s audit of collapsed outsourcer Carillion, indicating it found a number of breaches made by the firm. “We believe it is important that regulators acting in the public interest review the audit work related to high profile cases such as Carillion and we are cooperating fully with the FRC’s investigation,” KPMG said in a statement.

Deloitte fined record £15m for failings in Autonomy audits

Audit firm Deloitte has been fined a record £15m and been severely reprimanded for failings in its audits of software company Autonomy between January 2009 and June 2011.

PwC pledges to reach net zero emissions by 2030

PwC has committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its global network within the next ten years, and will be taking action to support its suppliers and clients in tackling their impact on the climate.

EY chairman admits ‘regret’ over Wirecard failures in letter to clients

The global chairman of EY has expressed “regret” that a fraud collapsed German fintech Wirecard was “not uncovered sooner” by his firm’s auditors and said the Big Four accounting group would “raise the bar significantly” on its vetting work.

KPMG abandons pension cuts after employees threaten legal action

KPMG has been forced to abandon plans to slash the sums it pays into thousands of employees’ pension pots following the threat of legal action. “We are continuing with our longer-term review of our pension scheme to ensure that we have an offering that is fair to all colleagues, competitive and helps attract and retain the best talent in the market,” said KMPG.