Brought to you by the IPA and authored by Professor of Accounting Craig Deegan. This short course with Professor Craig Deegan provides an introduction on accounting for sustainability designed for IPA members and small business accountants
Why is this relevant?
It is becoming increasingly an expectation of different classes of stakeholders that organisations, including SMEs, publicly report information about their significant social and environmental impacts (both positive and negative), and about the initiatives undertaken by the organisation to address these impacts. The public reporting of social and environmental /sustainability-related performance information is now accepted as an important aspect of managing an organisation, with a failure to do so putting an organisation at a competitive disadvantage.
Is this not just for larger clients and companies?
All accountants, whether working with large or small organisations, have a role to play in encouraging organisations to embrace some sustainability-related accountability.
Accountants need to play a key role in assisting their employer/clients to understand the benefits associated with collecting, analysing and reporting information associated with various aspects of social and environmental performance, as well as identifying and engaging with those stakeholders with an interest in sustainability-related matters.
Who should attend?
There is no expectation of prior knowledge in relation to sustainability reporting. What will be made clear is that all organisations of all sizes should be embrace some form of ‘accounting for sustainability’.
Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the meaning of ‘sustainability’ and ‘sustainability reporting’. .
- Be aware of different perceptions about the ‘responsibilities’ of business organisations, of how perceptions of responsibilities in turn influence perceptions about ‘accountability’, and of how perceptions of ‘accountability’ in turn impact decisions about the ‘accounts’ that should be prepared.
- Understand the extent to which organisations currently disclose information about their sustainability-related performance.
- Be aware of an ‘accountability model’ and understand how that model can be applied to explain or inform organisational reporting.
- Be aware of various perspectives about ‘why’ organisations present sustainability-related information.
Please note: IPA Short Courses are held via the LearnWorlds portal. Students will have 6 months to access and complete the course. Those who do not complete the course within this timeframe will not receive the allocated CPD hours will not be entitled to a refund.
