The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has announced two strategic partnerships: with the IFRS Foundation and the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges (UN SSE) initiative, to help deliver sustainability reporting training globally. The exercise emphasizes enhancing implementation of International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Standards and enhances sustainability reporting practices in markets.

The partnerships target increased access to sustainable training on sustainable reporting, ISSB Standards, sustainable disclosure, corporate reporting and climate risk management. The projects will allow professionals to become more aware of changing reporting obligations in the context of a growing demand by investors and regulators for sustainability-related financial information, ICAEW said.

ICAEW joins IFRS Foundation Training Partner Programme.

ICAEW is an official Training Partner under the ISSB Training Partner Programme as part of the partnership with the IFRS Foundation. The agreement enables ICAEW to provide IFRS Foundation training around the world.

It is developed through the IFRS Foundation's process and designed to help promote a consistent understanding of the ISSB Standards, with the flexibility of adaptation to local market requirements.

The ISSB Standards aim to enhance sustainability-related financial risk and opportunity disclosures and provide investors and stakeholders with more comparable information to evaluate business performance and value.

The ISSB Standards are being adopted in the market.

The partnership follows the growing recognition of ISSB Standards around the globe. The standards are already adopted or applied by 40 jurisdictions, as the demand for harmonising the approach to sustainability-related financial disclosures increases.

In the UK government has backed the voluntary use of United Kingdom Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS), which are very similar to the ISSB. The Financial Conduct Authority is likely to provide more regulatory clarity in the second half of 2026 via the listing rules.

The partnerships help the accountancy profession achieve its goal of sustainability-related financial information aiding decision-making, effective capital allocation and enhanced business resilience, said Alan vallance, ICAEW Chief Executive.

The UN SSE Focuses on the Stock Exchange Operation – Partnership.

ICAEW has also collaborated with the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative to create sustainability reporting capacity building programmes via the world's stock exchanges.

The partnership will be used to develop accountancy-related training, as part of the SSE Academy's program to offer professional development. Listed companies, investors and regulators rely on stock exchanges to facilitate their links and expectations regarding disclosure standards.

The partnership will help boost access to expertise-driven sustainability reporting education for the global accountancy profession, said Anthony Miller, Chief Coordinator for the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative.

The increasing importance of Accountants in Climate Reporting.The rising significance of Accountants in Climate Reporting.

The partnerships build on the growing involvement of the accounting profession in the creation and adoption of sustainability reporting frameworks. With increasing climate risk linkage to company performance, companies will be expected to enhance their internal reporting and governance systems.

Especially in the context of businesses being asked to evaluate the financial implications of a range of factors including climate change effects, supply chain disruptions and resource availability. This trend is bringing sustainability data closer to the financial reporting landscape.

The partnerships will help individuals and professionals stay up to date with evolving regulations, market expectations and financially relevant sustainability-related considerations, said Dana Day, ICAEW Chief Learning Officer.

Investors Seek More Consistent Sustainability Data

Greater reporting standard adoption and better training for investors may contribute to greater investor confidence in sustainability-related information. Disclosures that are similar in region could help evaluate risks, opportunities and company value over the long term.

Sue Lloyd, Vice-Chair of the ISSB at the IFRS Foundation, commented that the IFRS Foundation is committed to helping to improve the understanding and effective use of ISSB Standards, including through the Training Partner Programme.

The ICAEW partnerships add further professional capacity to a global sustainability reporting system that continues to develop. The value of these standards will rely on the consistency of companies in implementing the standards and the reliability for investors to use the information produced.