Sustainability must be embedded throughout aspiring professional accountants’ training, says the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).
Revisions to the International Education Standards will, says IFAC, reinforce the profession’s role in supporting high-quality sustainability reporting and assurance, while upholding integrity and professional quality.
IFAC’s CEO Lee White sad:“These revisions to the education standards ensure that professional accountants worldwide develop the right competencies to implement sustainability reporting and assurance standards effectively.”
As sustainability data and information become integral to corporate decision making and transparency, IFAC said it is crucial that professional accountants are equipped with the necessary skills to provide high-quality reporting and assurance that meets the needs of management, investors, regulators, and other stakeholders.
Ann Lamb, director of professional qualifications at ACCA, said: “Accountants have a central role in driving forward sustainable business around the world, and sustainability reporting and assurance are critical elements of this work. So, we very much support IFAC’s to embed sustainability in accountancy training. Sustainability is already integrated into the ACCA Qualification, and we keep our syllabus updated to ensure it covers all the latest developments.”
