For many people, the biggest story of this summer has been the weather. If temperatures continue to rise, and records continue to be broken around the world, we can expect impacts felt on communities, economies and ecosystems on a unprecedented scale.  

It was Peter Bakker, CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), who famously predicted “accountants will save the world”. He argued that CFOs, FDs and finance teams are the ones who can articulate both why climate change is a critical business risk, and that sustainability is also a huge opportunity. 

On 7 October, ICAS hosts its fourth annual Sustainability Summit. In this issue we preview the event, which includes an interview with WBCSD Vice-President Fiona Watson, who says: “More individuals and companies are realising how important it is to allow their people to invest time in discussions around sustainability. This is not a nice-to-have – it’s a must-have.”

You can also read about the launch of our new series of five sustainability CPD courses – which are free and available exclusively to ICAS members. 

Sustainability is also an integral part of our syllabus, As Director of Professional Qualification, Cat Devaney CA played a pivotal role in launching both the new syllabus and Advantage, ICAS’ platform for digital learning. Cat is now ICAS Executive Director of Learning, in which role she’s striving to ensure ICAS never rests on its laurels. She talks about a new AI-powered learning prototype in development that will allow students to practise realistic professional scenarios. 

The ICAS students of today are the business leaders of tomorrow and many would-be CAs want a job where they can use their skills to create positive change. We speak to four CAs who were named among this year’s 35 CA Rising Stars. Their inspiring stories demonstrate how the ICAS qualification provides the foundation for our members to go beyond the numbers, making a difference by working with charities or promoting social mobility in one of the UK’s most deprived areas. 

And last but far from least, when Gail Boag became our CEO at the start of this year, one of her key objectives was to ensure that ICAS’ voice is being heard beyond the profession, out in the wider world. She is making good on that pledge, and you may have seen Gail and ICAS’ comments appearing in The Times, and elsewhere, on the issue of tax divergence. 

In her column for this issue she expands on those remarks, and it brings us back to sustainability. In this case, it is about the sustainability of public services.

Enjoy the issue.

Geoff Day

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