Sustainability Reporting and Disclosure – Virtual Instructor-Led Training

There will be a minimum of two opportunities to take course 3 and 4 annually when purchasing the certificate.

The third course of four in the Sustainability and ESG Certificate will be delivered live online over four half days and is accompanied by hands-on case-based exercises to reinforce learning. It includes a mix of breadth and depth knowledge and resources in sustainability standards and frameworks that are important for CPAs and other business professionals. It will also provide perspectives on sustainable finance and assurance from an internal control lens. The learner will walk away with an understanding of the sustainability reporting landscape and how to navigate and interpret the landscape.

Four half-day virtual classroom sessions are held twice per year.

Upcoming Dates: June 11, 13, 20 and 25, 2024

Each session is from 1:00 PM - 5:30 PM EST.

Register now to receive automatic access to upcoming course dates as they become available.

NOTE: Completing courses 1 and 2 is required before attending course 3 in the virtual classroom.

What’s in it for me?

The competency of sustainability is one of the largest disruptions in the profession in more than 100 years. Developing your knowledge is a gateway to opportunity in this growing field with an increasing number of roles such as sustainability controller popping up. Those who have a base knowledge in sustainability will become increasingly valuable to the organization and those that have well rounded financial and business acumen to accompany this knowledge will have a competitive skills advantage. Becoming a key resource at your organization will give you the opportunity to position yourself for more senior positions and add increasing value to your organization’s future.

Even if you are not a public company, organizations part of a larger value chain will experience needs from those they supply or provide services to. In addition, financial institutions, private equity and other providers of capital are increasingly interested in key sustainability metrics for organizations of all sizes.

This is the third of four courses within the certificate program: A New Frontier, Sustainability and ESG for CPAs.

We highly recommend starting with courses 1 and 2 in order to build a base of literacy in sustainability terminology and the overarching landscape of various business risks and opportunities before diving into the standards and frameworks. This background will give you further context to succeed in being a strategic asset to you organization.

Learning objectives:

• assess and interpret the various sustainability reporting standards and frameworks and the future of sustainability reporting
• determine the influence or pressure of stakeholders and how they affect corporate ESG strategy, performance, reporting, and disclosure
• explain and analyze the relevance of ESG in making financial, strategic, and operational decisions
• explain the importance of the control environment and good governance

The course is comprised of five facilitated modules taking place over four half days:

The following course is taught in a virtual live setting with knowledgeable and engaging facilitators. The course also has a case that will reinforce concepts throughout the class. All learners must submit the case activities and achieve a pass. A zoom link will be provided to participants.

• brief history of financial reporting and the changing sustainability standards and frameworks landscape
• a mix of breadth and in-depth learning into:
• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
• those under and referred to in ISSB IFRS S1 and S2:
• Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
• Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)
• Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGp) or Carbon Accounting
• expanding on what was defined in courses 1 and 2, we explore what sustainable finance means and the role that financial institutions play in climate change
• a brief overview of the sustainability assurance landscape and, specific to industry, exploring the impact of an organization’s internal controls and processes when considering sustainability

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 (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 (MD&A, AIF, analyst reports, presentations, etc.)
• investor relations and other professionals involved in the preparation of sustainability or integrated reports.
• 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.