Addressing Climate Change: Urgent Skill Development for Finance Professionals

London News — As the urgency to transition to a net-zero future intensifies, a recent survey of international Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) has found a clear gap between organizations' sustainability ambitions and the skills needed to achieve them. Against this backdrop, the globally recognizedA4S Academyhas announced that applications for its learning and implementation program are now open, aimed at helping senior finance leaders acquire the critical skills and capabilities needed to address environmental and social risks and opportunities.

Conducted byThe Accounting for Sustainability Organization (A4S)the survey revealed that fewer than half of the CFOs surveyed believe their finance teams possess the skills and capabilities to support sustainability efforts. The A4S Academy program aims to fill this gap.

The program's effectiveness in empowering change is reflected in a recent survey of Academy graduates. After participating, 98% of respondents reported feeling empowered to drive change, and 89% reported having already driven change within the first year of participation.

Recent participants include Dr. Christian Multerer, Head of Corporate Governance at SAP SE, who has established a dedicated team focused on sustainability governance within the company to support and drive decision-making.

"A key insight was recognizing that sustainability is not an isolated issue; it must be integrated into all actions and decisions the company makes. The finance organization is a critical force in driving this transformation. By completing the program, we have made a leap forward in embedding sustainability into SAP's governance and steering processes," said Dr. Multerer.

Nicola Acutt, Vice President of ESG at VMware Inc., expressed appreciation for her Senior Director of Financial Planning and Analysis and ESG Finance, Jancy Castro, who was also a recipient of the 2023 award.

"Her leadership helped sustain and refine the financial disclosure working group, advancing the integrated reporting agenda during a busy year of uncertainty," said Ms. Acutt.

Helen Slinger, Executive Director of the A4S Academy, stated that sustainable business leadership is increasingly becoming synonymous with financial leadership.

"We provide participants with the knowledge and skills needed to implement change within their organizations. Participants develop practical, real-time plans and projects to embed sustainable practices and decision-making into their organizations, thereby helping to address growing environmental and social risks and opportunities," she said.

"Our founder, His Majesty King Charles III, stated at COP28 that by 2050, our grandchildren will not ask what we said; they will live with the consequences of what we did or did not do. The Academy is responding to this call for urgent action because our actions today will determine the world we live in tomorrow," she added.

Over 80 participants from the class of 2023 have just graduated, joining a growing alumni network of more than 240 senior finance professionals from around the world who have all graduated from the Academy.

The new program will commence in June 2024, and applications are now open. Through a series of interactive workshops and support, the program provides participants with the skills and tools needed to help their organizations succeed amidst increasingly severe climate-related risks and opportunities.

For more information about the program, eligibility requirements, and how to apply, please visitA4S Academy。

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About the A4S Academy

The A4S Academy is an 18-month online learning and implementation program for senior finance leaders, designed to embed sustainability into their organizations. The program empowers finance teams by providing them with the skills needed to address environmental and social risks and opportunities, contributing to business success.

The program places direct, practical impact on organizations at its core. Following a series of workshops, participants develop and deliver individual implementation plans to drive change within their organizations.

Key Information

• Application deadline: March 29, 2024
• Start date: June 2024
• Duration: 18-month program, including 5 months of live interactive workshops and 12 months of implementation phase
• Format: Online workshops, followed by practical implementation within your own organization
• Time commitment: 21-46 hours of contact time, with 2-4 hours of preparation required for each workshop
• Language: English
• Participants: Senior finance professionals
• Geography: Global

About the Accounting for Sustainability Organization (A4S)

A4S was founded by His Majesty King Charles III in 2004 to make sustainable business the norm. We are part of The Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund group.

We work with the global finance and accounting community to:

• Inspire finance leaders to adopt sustainable and resilient business models
• Transform financial decision-making to address the opportunities and risks arising from the climate crisis and other environmental and social issues
• Scale up action to transition to a sustainable economy

A4S leverages its global networks, including the CFO Leadership Network, the Practice Circle, the Accounting Bodies Network, and the Asset Owners Network, to enable the finance and accounting community to take a leadership role in sustainability. Through our outreach activities and the Academy learning and implementation program, we empower finance and accounting teams to embed sustainability into their organizations.