Accounting for Sustainability (A4S)

📢 Early bird applications for the A4S Academy are now open! 2/3 organizations that successfully integrate sustainability into their business practices see it as a driver of significant value in sales growth. The A4S Academy is designed to help finance professionals embed sustainability into financial decision making – creating long-term value by making sustainable business, business as usual. 🔹5-weeks of live, online seminars 🔹Expert-led sessions 🔹Practical tools to drive real change 🔹Resources created by finance for finance 🔹Implementation in own organizations 🔹Ongoing support from technical experts You'll not only gain knowledge, but also put it into action – developing a plan that makes a tangible impact within your organization. If you want the skills to turn sustainability ambitions into action and create more value, find out more here:  https://lnkd.in/dV9QssFx    Don't miss out on the chance to secure your spot at a discount.

Yesterday, our Executive Chair Jessica Fries had the privilege of moderating a roundtable at the Terra Carta Roundtables & Exhibition at Hampton Court Palace hosted by the Sustainable Markets Initiative – read on for insights 🔍 👇 🚀 The session, Unlocking Metrics & Sustainable Supply Chains, brought together CEOs, investors and government leaders to tackle one of the biggest challenges in sustainable business today: how to align and scale sustainability metrics while enabling resilient, transparent supply chains. 🌊 With an evolving regulatory landscape and growing momentum toward unified global standards, businesses face both pressure and opportunity. The discussion focused on key actions needed to move beyond compliance and use sustainability reporting as a catalyst for industry transformation. We determined that: 1️⃣ The state of play: While progress has been made toward standardizing sustainability metrics, challenges remain, particularly in ensuring global alignment and avoiding regulatory fragmentation. The importance of convergence – toward frameworks and standards such as International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) – was widely acknowledged. 2️⃣ Turning compliance into competitive advantage: Rather than viewing sustainability reporting as a compliance burden, leading businesses are integrating nature and climate metrics into decision making to strengthen resilience, drive innovation, and unlock new market opportunities. 3️⃣ Building sustainable supply chains: Transparency and traceability are key. Emerging technologies – such as digital tagging, tracking, and sustainable labelling – can enhance accountability and trust across value chains, ultimately supporting the transition to a more sustainable economy. 4️⃣ Industry collaboration is critical: Effective partnerships can maximize the potential of advanced technologies, connecting ‘on the ground’ measurement with top-down standards. For example, fashion brands and retailers can strengthen collaboration with supply chain partners by sharing real-time sales data, inventory levels, and customer insights to develop a unified demand forecast and optimize procurement, production, and logistics. Similar ventures in the food industry will also be necessary as global food systems come increasingly under pressure. ✅ A call to action: To accelerate progress, businesses must go beyond reporting and actively embed sustainability into financial and strategic decision making. Cross-sector collaboration and leadership is what will shape the global reporting system in a way that drives real impact. Thanks to attendees Sir Ronald Cohen, David Craig, Tony Goldner, Taylor Francis, Neil Eckert, Murat Sönmez, Patrick Holden, Alastair Brown, Rowan Douglas CBE, Samantha Duncan, Helle Bank Jørgensen, GCB.D, NACD.DC, Pete Wilson for your crucial insights on this important topic.

🚀 We were delighted to have Brad Sparks, Executive Director, Accounting for Sustainability Foundation USA, connect with key stakeholders and CFO Network members in the Asia-Pacific region last week. 🛠️ This included meetings for controllers on assurance, building ESG capabilities within audit/risk teams, workshops on nature and of course the CEO and CFO Roundtable: Essentials in Sustainability Reporting in an Evolving Landscape hosted by CIMB and the CEO Action Network (CAN) [pictured]. ♻️ It was a fantastic opportunity to engage with business leaders on critical sustainability topics. We explored the business case for nature and the importance of embedding nature into financial decision-making—to strengthen business resilience, align with evolving reporting requirements, and gain a competitive edge. 🌊 With sustainability advancing rapidly across Asia Pacific, we’re proud to be part of the conversation, working alongside our partners to help drive meaningful change. 🤝 We look forward to deepening our involvement in the region, with Ecosperity as a key next step - watch this space! Thanks to Khairul Rifaie, Group CFO at CIMB, Luanne Sieh, CSO at CIMB, and Charlotte Wolff-Bye, CSO at PETRONAS for inviting us.

🌎 Why do sustainability reporting standards that are truly interoperable matter? 🛠️ Sustainability standards ensure consistent and comparable reporting, reducing greenwashing and improving transparency. As companies operate in global supply chains and investors navigate international markets, alignment across jurisdictions is key to efficiently directing capital toward a sustainable economy. 👉 Clear, consistent, and comparable sustainability reporting is crucial. The IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (S1 & S2) were launched by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) in 2023. Several jurisdictions around the world are in the process of their endorsement. However, the global outlook has not been so straightforward when it comes to alignment, with some jurisdictions developing their own standards, like the EU. This landscape is still very much evolving today. 📊 Reporting is only a means to an end — finance leaders must have the skills and tools to turn reporting into action. A4S has been working since 2004 to drive sustainable business practices by equipping finance and accounting professionals with practical guidance, tools, and peer networks. 🕦 It's past time we make sustainable business, business as usual. Explore our knowledge hub for more insights into reporting and take a look at our Forums and Events pages for relevant opportunities. Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), CDP, Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), FSB Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), Sustainable Development Goals Ltd, World Economic Forum, EFRAG, SASB Standards, IFRS Foundation

👇 Read below for our takeaways from our recent fireside chat for CFOs and senior finance executives of Australia’s Group of 100 (G100) – an Australian business association and advocacy body representing Chief Financial Officers and senior finance executives in Australia. 🔍 This webinar allowed us to explore “The Investor Perspective” on all things sustainability. We were fortunate enough to have Olumide Olawale, of OMERS Sustainable Investing team and member of the IFRS Sustainability Reference Group, and Phillip Gee join us as speakers. 🚀 OMERS have a mandate of delivering sustainable, meaningful, and affordable pensions to its members. OMERS believes that well-run organizations with sound sustainable business practices will perform better particularly over the long term, and as such the fund’s actions are guided by this belief. It was a great opportunity to understand how OMERS (one of our CFO Leadership Network members) approaches sustainable investment and hear about their learnings: 📊 Start with what’s readily measurable. Leveraging primary data and publicly available information is a strong foundation for building out sustainability reporting. 📈 Investors support progress, not perfection. They are willing to back companies that take incremental steps toward adopting sustainability standards, recognizing that this enhances the quality of reporting and data. 🗣️ Don’t hesitate to seek guidance. Engage with peers, consultants, industry forums, and even investors themselves—collaboration strengthens both strategy and reporting. 🛠️ Interoperability among standards is essential. Aligning frameworks helps reduce costs and enhances comparability across jurisdictions, making sustainability reporting a more effective tool for informed decision-making. 📖 Quality sustainability reporting goes beyond compliance. It should tell a compelling story of how an organization creates value over time, rather than just ticking regulatory boxes. 💡The most impactful engagements take a thoughtful, bottom-up approach. Organizations that focus on their most material risks and opportunities—while staying true to their values and long-term strategy—create a more authentic and effective sustainability narrative. We hope these points are useful to you in your sustainable investment processes – do share any of your own in the comment section. We host numerous events to promote peer-to-peer learning and knowledge for our network members. To find out more about our different networks, click here: https://lnkd.in/esX_wmDt

❓ What is the business case for integrating sustainability across key functions? 👉 Our recent report, "Sustainability Value Triangle," offers insight for finance, IT, and sustainability leaders on how organizations are collaboratiing, integrating and creating greater business value. The research also explores how the collaboration of these three functions can help businesses navigate critical challenges such as sustainability reporting and AI adoption. Here are some key findings from the report: 🔹 44% of respondents believe that sustainability reporting promotes meaningful collaboration that generates value, while 42 percent believe it either has no impact on value creation or actively distracts from making progress on sustainability. However, companies with deeper integration are far more likely to leverage sustianability for value creation. 🔹 Fewer than one-third of IT and finance leaders feel there is a high level of competence and understanding of sustainability within their functions. 🔹 While only 6% of leaders think that AI has already provided significant value for sustainability, 50% expect it to do so in the next two years, particularly in reporting, measurement, and cost management. 🌎 To conduct this research, we established the Sustainability Value Creation Partnership, which includes SustainableIT.org, ERM Sustainability Institute, Salesforce, and GlobeScan. Access the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eGiUbAV3 

🌍 Announcing the A4S International Case Competition (A4SICC) 2025 Finalists! 🏆 We received an incredible range of high quality entries this year, making it a tough challenge to whittle it down to our final shortlist, but after much deliberation, here are the teams moving forward: 🔥 NourishCycle 🔥 Enact Consulting 🔥 RefriGenius 🔥 Rockstars 🔥 Team GreenPath 🔥 The GreenForge 🔥 Milky Way 🔥 Lestari 🎉 That's not all: People’s Choice Award! In addition to the official competition, we’re inviting YOU to have your say! Vote for the team you think excelled in this year’s challenge. You can watch all the finalist videos here: https://lnkd.in/eGaTV52B and cast your vote here: https://lnkd.in/dwg_3bMv 📅 Your vote counts! Deadline: 30 March We kindly ask you to vote only once and not for your own team! 🚀 This year, we’ve introduced exciting updates: we added internship opportunities for participants, and we are also launching a brand-new live challenge during the finals! We hope finalists are ready for the last stage of the competition on 3-4 April, where they will will test their knowledge, pitch their solutions to a panel of judges, connect with peers, and sharpen their skills for the future. 💡 A huge thank you! To all participants –whether or not you made it to the final–you've impressed us with your innovative approaches to decarbonization. The world needs ambitious, forward-thinking students like you, ready to tackle sustainability challenges head-on. Keep learning, keep creating, and keep pushing boundaries! 📍 Next stop: TORONTO! 🙏 Special thanks to our sponsors: Brookfield, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, ofi, Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) and Accounting for Impact; our host Schulich School of Business - York University (Charles H. Cho, PhD, CPA); our partners Altiorem, GBSN, ICAEW, Capitals Coalition, Shift Project and World Benchmarking Alliance; and our corporate partners DHL, SAP, Schroders and Tanganda Tea Company Limited. 🚀 Interested in entering or supporting next year’s competition? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eMVhdWmW

📢 We have developed a document for finance teams to align transition planning and financial planning: https://lnkd.in/eXA8T8TR If you work in finance, this will help you identify the different transition planning activities that may have financial implications, including the key questions to ask colleagues, across:  👉 Capex 👉 Revenue 👉 Opex 👉 Value chain  👉 Regulation, internal pricing and offsets 👉 Raising capital For CAPEX, the suggested questions include: ❓ Are you installing any new low-emissions assets (eg wind turbines, solar panels or EVs – either owner or hire purchase)?  ❓ Are you buying any assets that are required to manufacture new low-emissions products or to increase the circularity of products?  ❓ Are you upgrading or retrofitting any assets on the basis of preparedness for the transition (eg making old buildings more energy efficient)?  ❓ Are you likely to incur costs to ensure assets are resilient to physical risks (eg adding in f lood defences)?  ❓ Are you likely to need to revalue, write off, impair or retire any existing assets due to the transition? Q. Are your fixed assets likely to increase in value?  ❓ Are you investing in any capex to support your value chain? 🛠️ In each section you’ll find practical examples of climate action that organizations have taken that have financial implications, for example from Levi Strauss & Co., Unilever, NatWest and Apple. 🔗 Head to our webpage and download the document for the rest: https://lnkd.in/eXA8T8TR 🤝 This resource has been developed with support from ICAEW.

🐞 🍃 Happy World Wildlife Day! 🌊 Natural ecosystems underpin our social, cultural and economic systems. They fall under the term 'natural capital', the world's stock of natural resources—such as ecosystems, biodiversity, air, water, and soil—that provide essential goods and services and support life and economic activity. 🔥 Failing to identify natural capital can expose businesses to significant risks, including environmental degradation, resource scarcity, regulatory penalties, and supply chain disruptions. On the other side, overlooking these assets means missing out on opportunities for innovation, cost savings from efficient resource use, enhanced resilience, and a competitive edge through sustainable practices. 🌎 By integrating natural capital into our financial models, businesses can uncover hidden value, drive sustainable growth, and mitigate risks, ensuring that both nature and profit thrive together. Swipe through our collection of case studies on biodiversity and natural capital to inform your natural capital approach! 🔗Download the individual case studies here: 👉 PensionDanmark: https://lnkd.in/e6-HGS7t 👉 GSK: https://lnkd.in/eBi4RGdt 👉 United Utilities: https://lnkd.in/e9f2PVxW 👉 Yorkshire Water: https://lnkd.in/ebunDrUW

🌿 If you want to hear about other corporations’ experiences with nature reporting, specifically the TNFD recommendations, then register for the ‘UK action on TNFD’ webinar: https://lnkd.in/e6iG9KpA What you’ll get: 🗣️ A broad ranging discussion about how to build the case for nature internally and get started ⚙️ An exploration of motivations, first steps, and how the process is helping to inform action across the organisation ❓ A Q&A to share your own experiences and learn how the panellists have navigated any challenges When: 📅  5th March 2025 🕦 11:30 - 12:30 London You’ll hear from 3 UK companies from across a range of sectors: • Chris Dodwell, Head of Policy and Advocacy, Impax Asset Management • Ruth Voigt CEnv MCIEEM, Environmental Sustainability Lead, Laing O'Rourke • Diane Crowe, Group Sustainability Director, Reconomy • Charlie Dixon, UK Market Engagement Lead for the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), GFI Group (moderator) 👉 This is a great opportunity for cross-sector learnings – if you’re interested, register here: https://lnkd.in/ennF_PAK Green Finance Institute