We live in a world that faces an unprecedented level of economic, social and environmental challenges, from growing social inequality to the depletion of essential resources and the impact of climate change. Professional accountants have the skills and influence to make a real difference, to lead the way in addressing the most pressing issues we face and help create a better world.
The forum’s work emphasises the vital importance of sustainability, which has risen to the top of the agenda for businesses, the public sector, and policymakers across the world, and the value that ACCA members bring. The accountancy profession has a vital role to play in driving positive change for the natural environment and society. Finance functions are at the heart of organisations and professional accountants are in a unique position to make real, impactful change at the centre for more socially just and environmentally sustainable economies.
Accountants have the skills needed to identify and manage these risks, and their position at the core of businesses worldwide means they play a central role in informing, driving and embedding sustainable approaches. They help to prepare and protect the organisation, and lead the way should disaster strike.
The forum’s members represent a wide range of skills, experiences and geographies. Their discussions inform the ACCA’s research across the sustainability agenda, its policies, curriculum and training development to ensure that accountants will always have the right skills to support and build sustainable organisations.
The forum also helps to develop vital resources for accountants, including crisis management and business continuity toolkits and information gathered in the sustainability reporting hub, and it is particularly mindful to support smaller organisations who lack the resources of big business, but for whom sustainability is equally vital. It contributes to the worldwide debate around sustainability reporting and the importance of interconnected environmental, societal and financial reporting, ensuring that the voice of the ACCA and its members is heard.
