In this instalment of the Future of Finance 2.0 interview series, we meet Sabira Hasham, ACMA, consultant at Evolve Sustainability Limited in Pinner, England. Hasham helps businesses perform better with their triple bottom line — people, planet, prosperity.
Because accountants are already influencing decisions in corporate companies, Hasham believes that the profession is primely positioned to influence sustainability decisions amid the climate crisis.
Management accountants create value in various ways. They provide financial and non-financial insights to the whole organisation to help drive performance and goals. They also provide financial and non-financial insights to different stakeholders, such as investors and governments, to help them make informed decisions and influence decision-making.
‘We need to widen the lens by embracing non-financial assets, for example, different forms of capital, human or nature, other stakeholder views like investors, clients and employees,’ Hasham says.
Leading finance into the future
Management accountants already have the skill sets that transfer to other areas of sustainability. For instance, the profession already undertakes measuring and reporting. The profession also implemented the global standards for sustainability-related financial disclosures: IFRS S1 General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information, and IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures, which came into force on 1st January 2024.
Management accounting skills should also include people skills, which are crucial in every area of a business to:
Bring departments together for decision-making
Collaborate between departments and with external partners
Introduce ethical practices, such as whistle-blowing
The right mindset, together with expert training, can establish a future-ready sustainability practice in management accounting. Listen to learn more.