The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) has introduced a Professional Diploma in Sustainability.
It targets finance professionals seeking to enhance their understanding of sustainability and achieve formal accreditation.
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This initiative comes in response to a skills gap identified by the ACCA, where businesses are in urgent need of expertise to transition towards sustainable models, considering both non-financial and financial factors.
The diploma offers a structured learning and assessment programme, reflecting growing demand from employers and individuals for careers in sustainability, as well as to comply with emerging global regulatory requirements.
The ACCA said it collaborated with international regulators to ensure the diploma meets the specific needs of sustainability auditors.
ACCA chief executive Helen Brand said: “The expertise of accounting and finance professionals in driving sustainable approaches to business is absolutely essential if we are to make the progress the planet so desperately needs.
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By GlobalData“With their central role working in and for countless businesses and organisations across the world, professional accountants are well placed to play a key role in shaping the future we need. This new qualification is designed to help meet that increasing need and recognises that success is not now just about profits but about sustainability and social value too.”
The accreditation covers sustainability areas, marking an addition to the ACCA’s expanding sustainability education offerings.
The Professional Diploma in Sustainability comprises more than 60 hours of learning through four certificates and a final three-hour exam.
It will offer participants access to comprehensive knowledge of sustainability frameworks, ethics, strategy and management, reporting and assurance.
Last month, the ACCA’s report, ‘Smart alliance: accounting expertise meets machine intelligence’, revealed that the accountancy sector is influencing the integration of AI in business strategies.
