Introduction to Sustainability – A Multi-Year Retrospective

Add value to your organization with an introduction to the history and landscape of Sustainability and ESG. This course level sets on why ESG and sustainability risks, and opportunities, are important for CPAs and other professionals.

Event Details

Location and date:
Online (English) On-Demand Event

The first course in the Sustainability/ESG certificate will include a high-level overview of why ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and sustainability are important for CPAs and other business professionals. It will provide a multi-year retrospective on sustainability concepts and how it has evolved. It will also provide a walkthrough of various ways ESG affects an organization.

The competency of Sustainability is one of the largest disruptions in the profession in over 100 years and this certificate will position you to add value to your organization’s future.

This is the first of four courses within the certificate program: A New Frontier, Sustainability and ESG for CPAs. More information on purchasing the certificate in Spring 2023.

Learning objectives:

  • Define sustainability and explain the differences and similarities between sustainability and ESG
  • Explain factors driving increasing demand for sustainability information and understand the evolution of sustainability and reporting
  • Identify the key sustainability elements for a finance professional and identify the various sustainability standards and frameworks, including the differences and similarities between them
  • Determine the impact of sustainability risks and opportunities for business

The course is comprised of three online modules:

  1. Introduction to the course
  2. What is ESG and Sustainability
  3. Organizational Impacts of Sustainability

The course includes interactive e-Learning slides, audio, knowledge checks and an end of module multiple-choice quiz (needing 80% or higher with three attempts).

Additional options and pricing may be available. See pricing and registration for more details.



$200

5 CPD hour(s)
Pricing & registration

You will learn about:

  • Sustainability over the years
  • Rise of intangibles in business value
  • ESG rating and rankings
  • Sustainability frameworks and standards
  • Sustainability principles and guidelines
  • Organizational Impacts
  • Regulatory, legal, and reputational impacts
  • Managing ESG-related risks
  • ESG Investing and stakeholder stewardship and engagement

Who should attend?

The certificate and its courses are intended toward upskilling two distinct groups of professionals:

CPAs that have at least two to 10+ years of designated experience and MBA / business professionals that work in:

  • the private sector (e.g., publicly listed companies, private companies)
  • public accounting firms
  • management / consulting firms

Within those groups, we expect the following roles to align with this course and its objectives:

  • New CPA and business roles in sustainability and climate change
  • Reporting Lead / Manager roles in public reporting (e.g., MD&A, AIF (annual information form), analyst reports / presentations, etc.)
  • Financial Statement preparers
  • Senior / Executive leaderships roles

Sustainability and ESG considerations are fundamentally changing how organizations plan and execute their strategy and operate and in doing so, are impacting the entire career spectrum. This product is designed with inclusion in mind; there is something for everyone.

More Details:

You may also be interested in:

A new frontier for environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues is upon us. Learn how to navigate environmental and social risks and opportunities at this event for CPAs, leaders and other professionals from every industry.

CPA Canada initiated a review of social disclosures by 25 Canadian publicly listed issuers across a range of sectors to better understand the nature and extent of social factors being disclosed and opportunities for improvements.

Contacts

Please contact:

Member Development and Support
Tel: 1-800-268-3793
Email: [email protected]