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As the key subject to achieve the "dual carbon" goal, more and more enterprises are accelerating their green transformation. The establishment of an ESG system has become a "must-answer" for sustainable development, and the recruitment and training of ESG management talents has also become an important issue for major enterprises.
As a bridge between standard-setting institutions in the field of ESG and professional managers in the industry, ACCA has an in-depth observation of ESG management-related topics, and puts forward effective suggestions for enterprises to cultivate ESG compound talents and build ESG systems. Speaking at the Annual Sustainability ACCA2024 Symposium on 14 May, ACCA CEO Helen Brand said: "In 2024, ACCA will focus on sustainability and the key role that accounting plays in leading long-term value creation in a sustainable economy. Qian Yuyi, Director of Public Affairs of ACCA China, also mentioned in an exclusive interview with the media: "In the face of the ever-changing ESG environment, companies need to build an ESG system to adapt and lead. In the process of sustainable development transformation of enterprises, professional accountants can play an important role as recorders, witnesses, consultants, and advocates.
Focusing on the future value of enterprises, ESG development has the problem of talent shortage supply
At present, sustainability reporting has moved from voluntary disclosure to mandatory disclosure. Catalyzed by factors such as market regulation, investor requirements, and supply chain pressures, it has become the consensus of enterprises to carry out comprehensive and comprehensive ESG management and information disclosure, and the demand for ESG-related talents has also increased significantly.
Qian Yuyi said, "The data we have obtained from headhunters shows that the demand for high-end ESG management talents has increased sixfold compared with last year, and ESG has opened up a very new golden career track for individuals. "The comprehensive characteristics of ESG have led to the overall strong demand and weak supply of the ESG talent market." In the domestic workplace job market, there is actually a relatively large gap in ESG management talents. ”
In the process of sustainable transformation of enterprises, professional accountants can play an important role as an enabler of ESG transformation. "Professional accountants can engage in corporate reporting in the enterprise to help the enterprise report more accurately and comprehensively; It can engage in audit and assurance work inside or outside the enterprise to establish public confidence and strengthen the credibility of the capital market; It is also possible to work as an ESG transformation enabler, in addition to reporting and disclosure and assurance, and more importantly, to achieve long-term sustainable transformation in the business and supply chain. "They can become sustainability advocates within the organization, using their leadership and influence to drive the company to achieve long-term sustainability.
To cultivate ESG compound talents, it is necessary to pay attention to multiple comprehensive capabilities
Qian Yuyi believes that the multi-dimensional information coverage of ESG puts forward higher requirements for the cultivation of ESG and sustainable development-related talents. To support sustainable development, it is more necessary for relevant personnel in relevant positions of enterprises to have sophisticated professional skills and forward-looking vision to meet the challenges of sustainable development.
"These emerging job opportunities require not only ESG-related professional knowledge and skills, but also an understanding of the company's entire end-to-end business and upstream and downstream supply chains. Therefore, in essence, it has very high requirements for the business acumen, strategic thinking ability and cross-departmental coordination ability of enterprise professionals, which should be said to be a very comprehensive ability requirement. At the same time, "whether it is voluntary disclosure or mandatory disclosure, in the final analysis, it is still the work of disclosure." That's why we put a lot of emphasis on the professionalism and ethics of professionals. "In the current 'greenwashing' behavior in the market, how can professionals use their professional judgment and professional skepticism to help enterprises avoid potential risks?"
China is still in the early stage of ESG development, and many industry standards still need to be improved, so we need a lot of standard setters and builders, and we need to continue to pay attention to the requirements of global ESG information disclosure, "help our country formulate world-class ESG information disclosure guidelines, and also help our country to speak out more on the global ESG standard-setting platform". Therefore, "ESG interdisciplinary talents also need to have a very strong global vision and international communication skills. ”
ACCA has partnered with the Beijing National Accounting Institute to provide guidance for finance and accounting professionals
Qian Yuyi said, "At present, professional institutions in the market that can provide technical support for creating such talents are still relatively scarce. That's why we want to work with our partners to create a more forward-looking, systematic and global capacity building program for our professionals in the Chinese market. It is in this context that the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Beijing National Accounting Institute jointly launched the "ESG and Sustainability Manager Competency Level Project".
The project aims to cultivate and nurture more professionals with international vision, cutting-edge insight and a sense of responsibility in the field of sustainable development. The main training targets of the program are professional accountants and middle and senior managers of listed companies, non-listed companies, government agencies/universities/enterprises and institutions, third-party institutions, and other relevant people involved in ESG management. The project adopts an international forward-looking ESG and sustainable development training system, guided by the actual needs of China, combining theory and practice, and empowering ESG talents with the required capabilities. The hybrid talent training method combining offline and online and the advanced teaching mode of 'lecture + case teaching' not only provide students with flexible learning methods, but also ensure that they can deepen their theoretical knowledge and improve their ability to solve practical problems in specific topics.
Ms. Qian Yuyi said: "The highlight of this project is that it is international, professional and systematic. In terms of internationality, ACCA has a wealth of experience in global talent training, and the training content can help talents who are interested in ESG management to open up their international perspectives. In terms of professionalism, ACCA and Beijing National Accounting Institute are both very professional talent training institutions. We hope that after the study, the participants will be equipped with the ability to help companies implement sustainable development practices. On the systemic side, we see that there is a lot of content to learn from both the finance staff and the management who lead the sustainable business. However, there is a lack of such a systematic, holistic solution in the market. We hope that by learning this product, participants will gain systematic and comprehensive knowledge and skills in sustainability. ”
The tools and methods provided in the course will help finance and accounting personnel to acquire professional knowledge and master ESG construction skills, and help practitioners become compound talents with Chinese characteristics and international vision, who can systematically respond to ESG and sustainable development requirements and provide solutions. Sufficient talent support will provide a strong boost for the sustainable development and transformation of enterprises, help enterprises achieve deeper value creation, and promote the process of sustainable development of the country's economy and society.
Qian Yuyi said: "The implementation of this project will cultivate a group of ESG and sustainability managers with international vision and forward-looking thinking, who will become the backbone of promoting the green transformation of enterprises and achieving high-quality development." "In the future, ACCA will continue to explore the cultivation of ESG management talents to provide solid support for ESG development. (Reporter He Fang)