ESG Data, Accounting and Reporting

Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) - Data, Accounting and Reporting

The course is focused on providing a sound understanding of the range of standards and frameworks that exist for climate accounting and more broadly ESG disclosures. This interactive course includes mini-cases and case work on ESG data and ESG disclosures in Annual reports. The course will address the interlinkages between financial reporting and ESG reporting.

The world of ESG reporting is evolving rapidly and this course is continually updated to include the latest developments including, for example, the ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board) which was recently established to develop and approve the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (IFRS SDS). Also, the Corporate Social Responsibility Directive (CSRD) comes into effect for large public-interest companies from 1 January 2024 which will require an understanding of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).

Participants will gain technical understanding that will equip them to understand, among other things; carbon accounting, materiality matrixes and voluntary versus mandatory ESG disclosures.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors:

Environmental:

• Climate Change
• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Resource depletion, including water
• Waste and pollution
• Deforestation

Social:

• Working conditions, including slavery and child labour
• Local communities, including indigenous communities
• Conflict and humanitarian crises
• Health and safety
• Employee relations and diversity

Governance:

• Executive pay
• Bribery and corruption
• Board diversity and structure
• Fair tax strategy

During this course participants will get:

• Comprehension and knowledge of voluntary and mandatory standards and regulations that govern environmental and carbon accounting, ESG reporting and disclosures (including the EU Directive 2014/95/EU on non-financial reporting, CSRD & ESRS, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures)
• Knowledge of a range of ESG reporting standards and frameworks, including the SDGs and their indicators
• An understanding of how to apply selected tools (SDG indicators, materiality matrix, carbon accounting etc.) covered in the course, to real life cases to prepare ESG reports and disclosures
• Introductory knowledge of the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities and the EU Green Deal
• An appreciation for environmental, social and economic responsibility of an organization and understand data, measurement and reporting challenges.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Recognise and explain voluntary and mandatory standards and regulations that govern carbon accounting, ESG reporting and disclosures (including the EU Directive 2014/95/EU on non-financial reporting, CSRD & ESRS, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures)
• Interpret and analyse the range of ESG reporting standards and frameworks, including the SDGs and their indicators
• Apply tools (SDG indicators, materiality matrix, carbon accounting etc.) covered in the course, to real life cases to prepare ESG reports and disclosures
• Discuss some of the problems associated ESG data, reporting and disclosures

Who Should Attend

This course is ideal for accountants, managers and all other professionals who are involved the ESG and Sustainability reporting cycle or who more broadly engage with impact and sustainability within a public sector entity or a private company.

Topics

Introduction

• Introduction to social sustainability; environmental sustainability; economic sustainability; and governance structure and management systems in firms
• EU taxonomy for sustainable activities and the EU Green Deal are introduced
• Introduction to themes in ESG reporting, such as climate, human rights and social sustainability
• Understanding different forms of capital and the use of the concept of the ecosystem in the context of companies, and more explicitly in relation to accounting and reporting

The EU Directive on Non-Financial reporting

• The EU Directive on Non-Financial reporting. Mandatory requirements for ESG reporting and an introduction to sustainable finance in the EU
• The EU Guidelines on reporting climate-related information

Voluntary standards for ESG reporting and disclosures. Understanding the concept of shareholders and stakeholders in the context of ESG reporting

• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their indicators
• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
• Integrated Reporting (IR)

Task Force on Climate related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)

• Task Force on Climate related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), measurement methods, the link to natural science and reporting under TCFD

Social data, ethics and human rights reporting

Carbon Accounting and reporting

• The Greenhouse gas protocol