Professional accountants at the heart of sustainable organisations

Building on ACCA’s global research programme, conducted over the past two years, as well as a survey of over 2000 finance professionals and global roundtables across the world, this report explores the future of the accountancy profession, examining the drivers of change shaping sustainable business as we look ahead, and the next decade of work for finance professionals, as well as the skills that are most prized.

Now and in the decade ahead the professional accountant as the sustainable business and finance professional in any role is the trusted professional working at the heart of sustainable business.

They’ll be essential to driving positive business change and supporting economies and organisations across the world to build back better. From ensuring the strong governance and the sustainable financial development of organisations, through to taking a leading role in critical challenges facing businesses today, such as responding effectively to the imperatives of climate change or championing the natural capital and environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda, they’ll use their skills, ethics and professional judgement, acting in the public interest to help create new value opportunities for organisations in all sectors across the world, enriching society at large.

Key messages from this research are:

• Professional accountants are at the heart of the sustainable organisation of the future as sustainable business and finance professionals
• They play a key role in helping organisations create, protect and report sustainable value.
• We see 5 broad drivers of change impacting sustainable organisations and the role of professional accountants of the future from changes in the global economy, environmental change, technology change, societal change and workforce change
• The research identifies 4 emerging career pathways of opportunity in the face of these changes over the decade ahead
• The research also presents ACCA’s new capability framework and career navigator tool, identifying the 7 core capabilities needed across all roles in the profession in the future.

Jamie Lyon ACCA talks to the issues impacting the future of work and how the workplace is going to change as we look forward. Building on global research issued by ACCA on drivers of change impacting the profession and particularly how the world of work is evolving. Download a transcript of the video dialogue (PDF, 36kb).

Jamie Lyon ACCA outlines the major global drivers of change impacting how organisations in the future can remain sustainable. From challenges in the global economy through to societal and technology change, this introduction builds on ACCA’s report Professional Accountants at the heart of sustainable organisations. Download a transcript of the video dialogue (PDF, 27kb).