In a one-on-one with The Catalyst, Vikas Aggarwal, ACCA Regional Head of Public Affairs EMEA, shares how ACCA is equipping finance professionals with the skills, tools, and ethical frameworks needed to lead this change and drive a greener, more resilient economy.
How is ACCA helping finance teams turn sustainability reporting from a compliance task into a driver of real business impact?
ACCA promotes a holistic sustainability reporting cycle, centred on an eight‐stage production framework that connects ESG data with financial information. This ensures sustainability disclosures become part of strategic decision‑making, not just a regulatory checkbox.
Through five guiding actions – embedding sustainability in culture and risk management, cross‑functional collaboration, leveraging technology, ethical governance and continuous learning – ACCA helps finance functions unlock sustainability as a value driver.
Furthermore, ACCA’s “Sustainability Reporting: Risk and Materiality” report (Feb 2025) outlines practical steps to identify sustainability‑related risks and opportunities (SRROs), assess their impact and disclose those materials to stakeholders, ensuring efficiency and relevance, including for SMEs.
What emerging digital tools or technologies do you see as most transformative for ESG reporting and climate risk management?
ACCA emphasises the need to leverage technology to collect, analyse and communicate connected ESG and financial data as part of the sustainability reporting lifecycle.
In our FinTech for finance leaders and Sustainability Analytics courses, ACCA trains professionals in tools like machine learning, automation and data visualisation to drive ESG insights and risk modelling.
These competencies enable finance teams to automate data gathering, perform emissions forecasting and scenario analysis and embed forward‑looking climate risk.
ACCA recently redesigned its course to embed sustainability and technology. What specific new skills or mindsets are you aiming to develop in future accountants?
The redesigned ACCA Qualification reflects the changing role of accountants as drivers of sustainable business and innovation. We’re embedding sustainability, technology and ethics throughout the learning journey to develop well-rounded professionals with strong technical and ethical foundations.
Key changes include new Employability Modules at every level, giving students practical experience in areas like digital tech, sustainability and business management. We’ve also introduced a Data Science Professional exam to build advanced analytical and modelling skills.
AI-powered learning journeys and digital mentors help students develop adaptability, critical thinking and data literacy, essential for thriving in a fast-changing world. Our aim is to prepare accountants to lead with purpose and deliver long-term value.
What’s the biggest challenge and opportunity for finance teams using technology to drive a greener economy?
One of the biggest challenges finance teams face is integrating sustainability into existing financial systems and workflows. ESG data often sits in silos, separate from financial reporting processes, making it difficult to produce meaningful insights or align sustainability goals with financial performance. For many organisations, particularly those early in their sustainability journey, the volume and complexity of ESG data, along with the fast-evolving reporting standards, can feel overwhelming.
However, the opportunity is significant. Technology allows finance professionals to turn sustainability from a compliance obligation into a source of strategic value. With the right digital tools, finance teams can automate data collection, enhance the accuracy of ESG metrics and perform scenario analysis to better understand climate risks and opportunities.
Ultimately, technology empowers finance teams to lead on sustainability by embedding it into core business strategy. It enables more informed decision-making, improves access to green finance, and strengthens organisational resilience. As finance professionals, our role is no longer just to report the numbers, it’s to help shape a greener, more sustainable economy through insight, influence and innovation.
How can small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) leverage AI and digital tools for sustainability, given their limited resources?
ACCA’s materials include versions of guidance tailored for SMEs, showing how smaller organisations can integrate sustainability reporting effectively using existing risk management and financial data systems, without large budgets.
SMEs can focus on:
- Leveraging existing data and processes: recycle risk registers and operational data to identify SRROs and material metrics.
- Affordable digital tools: low‑cost dashboards, spreadsheet‑based analytics and entry‑level automation tools to track basic energy, emissions or social KPIs.
- Collaborative benchmarking: peer learning through SME networks and ACCA workshops.
These approaches allow digital enablement at low cost and complexity.
Beyond carbon footprint, do you see AI playing a role in tracking social and governance metrics too?
Absolutely. While carbon reporting often gets the most attention, AI has enormous potential to enhance how we measure and manage the full range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) indicators. In fact, the ability to capture and analyse social and governance data is becoming increasingly important as stakeholders demand a more complete view of organisational impact.
AI can help track social metrics such as workforce diversity, pay equity, health and safety incidents, and employee engagement – often by analysing large, unstructured datasets from HR systems, survey results or even anonymised employee feedback.
When it comes to governance, AI can support the monitoring of board composition, decision-making patterns, ethics and compliance breaches. These insights not only improve transparency but also strengthen internal controls and ethical culture.
By automating the collection and interpretation of social and governance data, AI makes it easier for finance teams to provide robust, real-time reporting on all aspects of ESG performance. This integrated approach is essential for building trust with stakeholders and ensuring that sustainability strategies reflect people, planet and principles.
The integration of sustainability and technology into finance is no longer optional—it is fundamental to shaping resilient, purpose-driven organizations. By leveraging digital tools, AI, and robust reporting frameworks, finance teams can move beyond compliance to become strategic enablers of long-term value and positive societal impact. From equipping professionals with future-ready skills to embedding ESG into decision-making, this transformation positions finance at the forefront of driving ethical growth and a sustainable global economy.
All Content Rights Reserved by The Catalyst.
