The Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) has launched a free sustainability playbook for chartered accountants in response to mandatory climate-related financial disclosures now required for many entities across Australia and New Zealand.  

It was launched at CA ANZ’s inaugural Sustainability Conference in Sydney and online.  

The sustainability playbook for chartered accountants aims to embed sustainability as a core competency within the accounting profession. 

This sustainability playbook for chartered accountants is intended to support practitioners as they respond to new sustainability reporting requirements. 

The release of the playbook aligns with CA ANZ’s broader effort to make sustainability a fundamental skill area for the accounting sector.  

Other recent measures include launching a Sustainability Resource Centre, offering CPD micro courses on related topics, publishing guides on climate-related disclosures, and adding a sustainability elective to the CA programme.  

The conference centres on the theme ‘From Insight to Impact: Leading the Change’ and includes discussions on the evolving role of accountants in addressing environmental concerns.  

The playbook describes how accounting can intersect with sustainability, suggests methods to apply relevant principles in regular tasks, and provides examples of how finance teams are expanding their capabilities in this space. 

To further support business leadership in sustainability reporting, CA ANZ recently began working with Australian Stock Exchange and UN Global Compact Network Australia on an initiative intended to accelerate advancements in climate and sustainability reporting standards. 

CA ANZ CEO Ainslie van Onselen said: “We are moving through a ‘once-in-a-generation’ change to corporate reporting and Chartered Accountants are uniquely positioned to lead the way through reporting, assurance, strategy and governance. 

“But regardless of mandatory or technical requirements, Chartered Accountants also have a strategic role to play in empowering organisations to navigate opportunities and risks associated with existing and emerging social and environmental issues. 

“With more than 90 per cent of CFO’s globally saying ESG issues will be a major focus for their organisations over the next five years, our aim is to support our members to deepen their understanding of climate, nature and social issues, and equip them to navigate these complexities with clarity and precision – the hallmark of Chartered Accountants.” 

Recently, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and CA ANZ agreed to continue their cooperation for another five years.  

This decision builds on close to ten years of joint work focused on resource development and tracking shifts affecting accountancy worldwide.