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THE IMPACT OF SUSTAINABILITY ON PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTING BODIES AND THEIR PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Eleonora Stancheva-Todorova

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore how some of the leading global professional accounting bodies - the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and Certified Practicing Accountant Australia, respond to the recent changes in the corporate reporting in the new realm of sustainability and the growing business demand for ESG competences of accounting professionals. A comparative analysis was conducted to assess the extent to which sustainability was integrated into their professional qualifications. The methodology is based on qualitative analysis of qualification syllabuses and study guides, resources for continued professional development, sustainability educational hubs, and other publicly available information. The applied comparison criteria include the extent of integrated ESG content in core modules, the introduction of stand-alone sustainability unit, the infusion of specific topics into professional exams, and the current status of the qualification reform driven by sustainability requirements and business demands. Findings reveal significant differences in how sustainabilty is integrated into qualification structures. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales has introduces a compulsory module in Sustainability and Ethics within its ACA qualification, while the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants is embedding ESG content across multiple exam papers. CPA Australia integrates sustainability topics selectively across three modules, whereas the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants are at the earloer stage of incorporating ESG themes into their qualifications. The paper further examines the institutional, regulatory and strategic factors behind this divergence and discusses the risk of fragmentation and confusion about sustainability competences in the global accounting profession. It concludes with recommendations for professional accounting bodies, policy makers and accounting practitioners, aimed at ensuring greater integrity, worldwide comparability, and alignment with evolving sustainability reporting standards

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Dimensions ID: pub.1195348627

DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2025/5.1/s20.078

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