Sustainability and Business Thought Leadership Series

This toolkit is a summary of AICPA & CIMA resources and tools to help organisations navigate the sustainability landscape. The Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosure’s (TCFD) four thematic areas represent core elements of how organisations operate and provide a structure for working with any of the core elements of sustainability, whether environmental protection, social inclusion, or governance. In the face of sustainability issues confronting business, finance professionals need to apply an operational lens of

• Governance

• Strategy

• Risk management

• Metrics and targets

The tools in each of the four thematic areas will help finance professionals provide leadership to their organisations as they consider sustainability issues and how to integrate them into long-term decision-making.

A report exploring sustainability, ESG and the role of finance professionals. This report is an introduction to the area of sustainability.

This report is part one of a series on the ESG factors finance professionals must be focused upon to make a difference.

The 2nd of 3 introductory guides on the ESG factors finance professionals must be focused upon. It helps them to consider the social issues.

The 3rd of 3 introductory guides on the ESG factors finance professionals must be focused upon. It helps them to consider the Governance issues.

Summary of the several initiatives underway to address the fragmented sustainability accounting and reporting landscape and that seeks to build a coherent global approach to corporate reporting that encompasses both financial and non-financial reporting.

This is part of a series of briefs exploring the topic of sustainability, business and the finance professional’s key role. These briefs will help organisations consider the sustainability issues, how to integrate them into their long-term decision-making, and how to incorporate these issues into internal and external reporting.

This paper is designed to present a summary of the COSO report, Achieving Effective Internal Control over Sustainability Reporting (ICSR), published in March 2023. The paper answers four questions,

• What? Description of the ICSR framework guidance.

• How? Implementation of the ICSR framework guidance.

• Why? The purpose of the ICSR framework guidance.

• Who will encounter the ICSR framework guidance.

As a finance professional, you are likely to encounter one or many of the sustainability frameworks and standards and We will continue to release papers summarising the major methodologies.

This paper is designed to present a summary of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) framework. It is written from the management accounting perspective. The paper answers four questions,

• What? Description of the CDSB framework.

• How? Implementation of the CDSB framework.

• Why? The purpose of the CDSB framework and organisational impact.

• Who? Finance professional skills and competencies linked to the CDSB framework.

As a finance professional, you are likely to encounter one or many of the sustainability frameworks and standards and We will continue to release papers summarising the major methodologies.

This paper is designed to present a summary of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. It is written from the management accounting perspective. The paper answers four questions,

• What? Description of the GRI standards.

• How? Implementation of the GRI standards.

• Why? The purpose of the GRI standards and organisational impact.

• Who? Finance professional skills and competencies linked to the GRI standards.

As a finance professional, you are likely to encounter one or many of the sustainability frameworks and standards and We will continue to release papers summarising the major methodologies.

This paper is designed to present a summary of the International Integrated Reporting Council’s (IIRC) framework. It is written from the management accounting perspective. The paper answers four questions,

• What? Description of the <IR> framework.

• How? Implementation of the <IR> framework.

• Why? The purpose of the <IR> framework and organisational impact.

• Who? Finance professional skills and competencies linked to the <IR> framework.

As a finance professional, you are likely to encounter one or many of the sustainability frameworks and standards and We will continue to release papers summarising the major methodologies.

As highlighted in the Sustainability and business — the call to action; build back better report, we have embarked on a thought leadership programme that explores accountancy and sustainability. This is part of a series of briefs exploring the topic of sustainability, business and the finance professional’s key role. These briefs will help organisations consider the sustainability issues, how to integrate them into their long-term decision-making, and how to incorporate these issues into internal and external reporting.

This paper is designed to present a summary of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. It is written from the management accounting perspective. The paper answers four questions,

• What? Description of the TCFD recommendations.

• How? Implementation of the TCFD recommendations.

• Why? The purpose of the TCFD recommendations and organisational impact.

• Who? Finance professional skills and competencies linked to the TCFD recommendations.

This paper is designed to present a summary of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) reporting framework for measuring stakeholder capitalism. It is written from the management accounting perspective. The paper answers four questions,

• What? Description of the WEF’s reporting framework.

• How? Implementation of the WEF’s reporting framework.

• Why? The purpose of the WEF’s reporting framework and organisational impact.

• Who? Finance professional skills and competencies linked to the WEF’s reporting framework.

As a finance professional, you are likely to encounter one or many of the sustainability frameworks and standards and we will continue to release papers summarising the major methodologies.

This is part of a series of environmental issues briefs exploring the topic of sustainability, business, and the finance professional’s key role. These briefs will help organisations consider the sustainability issues, how to integrate them into their long-term decision-making, and how to incorporate these issues into internal and external reporting. This is the first of four environmental issues briefs on factors finance professionals must be focused upon to make a difference when working with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The practical brief focuses upon

• What are the Sustainable Development Goals?

• Why are the Sustainable Development Goals needed?

• How to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into an organisation

• Who will encounter the Sustainable Development Goals?

• Practical tools and resources for using with the Sustainable Development Goals

Finance professionals play a crucial role in helping organisations address and improve their impact on the goals. They do this by providing valuable accounting and management information, including financial and non-financial measures, and actionable business insights. Organisations can then confidently take strategic decisions and implement solutions based on relevant data and information to help society achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

This is the second of four environmental issues briefs on factors finance professionals must be focused upon to make a difference. It is designed to help finance professionals build their climate emergency literacy so we can lead and support the journeys of our organisations, firms, and clients to adapt business models and reduce their carbon footprints in the global race to net zero. The practical brief focuses upon

• What is carbon accounting?

• Why is carbon accounting needed?

• How to integrate carbon accounting into an organisation

• Who will encounter carbon accounting?

• Practical tools and resources for carbon accounting

Finance professionals play a crucial role in helping organisations address their Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and achieve net-zero targets. They do this by providing valuable accounting and management information, including financial and non-financial measures, and actionable business insights. Organisations can then confidently take strategic decisions and implement solutions based on relevant data and information to help society achieve the transition to low carbon economies.

As highlighted in the Sustainability and business — the call to action; build back better report, AICPA^® and CIMA^® started a programme of thought leadership to explore accountancy and sustainability. This is part of a series of briefs exploring the topic of sustainability, business, and the finance professional’s key role. These briefs will help organisations consider the sustainability issues, how to integrate them into their long-term decision-making, and how to incorporate these issues into internal and external reporting

This report is designed to help finance and accountancy professionals build their sustainability scenario literacy so they can lead and support the journeys of their organisations, firms and clients as they adapt business models and operations in response to increasing climate change, biodiversity loss and inequality.