Image credit: Moneycontrol
THE second edition of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants’ (MIA) annual MIA International Accountants Conference will take place this year virtually on June 8 and 9. Following the success of its inaugural conference in 2018, the upcoming event is expected to gather close to 3,000 Malaysian and international delegates to learn from more than 80 sought-after subject matter experts and thought leaders who will share their insights into topics such as environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability.
“The MIA International Accountants Conference 2022 will focus on ESG and sustainability from the perspectives of accountants, providing insights into how to adopt and integrate ESG issues such as climate change, carbon reporting and sustainability into business strategy and operations, while harnessing technologies and digital tools to drive efficiency and effectiveness,” say MIA president Dr Veerinderjeet Singh and conference director and executive director of strategy and development G Shanmugam.
“At the same time, there will be a focus on technical developments that are relevant to accountants and the profession, such as the shift to sustainability reporting and climate disclosures, and the implementation and implications of accounting and financial reporting standards, new global tax rules and management best practices,” they add.
Themed “Leading ESG, Charting Sustainability”, the conference will focus on the accountancy profession’s role in articulating and leading the ESG agenda in business in order to drive the bigger global sustainability vision.
“As partners and strategic advisers to businesses and companies, accountants must be prepared to drive ESG towards achieving long-term enterprise sustainability, hence supporting sustainable nation-building,” say Veerinderjeet and Shanmugam.
The big picture of the sustainability session aims to provide participants with an understanding of the major sustainability developments, what companies embarking on their sustainability journey can expect, as well as net-zero initiatives by the government and regulators.
The session on the path to net zero will focus on the profession’s role, required competencies and the roles of accountancy leaders in accelerating climate action at their organisations to achieve net zero, which refers to a state of equilibrium whereby the amount of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere is balanced by their equivalent removal. Reaching net zero is critical because this is the pathway to halting global warming.
Other sessions will look at global standards boards and their issuance of new guidelines on ESG disclosure in financial and non-financial reporting for climate change accountability and actionability, as well as tax governance.
This year, there will be a special address by International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) president Alan Johnson, who will discuss the global profession’s strategic and values-based response to the climate crisis. In particular, Johnson will emphasise how accountants can harness their unique strengths, competencies and professionalism to engage business on ESG and climate change actions and drive more sustainable decision-making and actions.
Also present will be Bursa Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, who will deliver the closing address on sustainability for business longevity.
“As partners and influential decision-makers at businesses and companies, accountants are set to play a global and leading role in climate change and sustainability in line with the IFAC’s stance. Accountants as business advisers and leaders must therefore position themselves to support organisations strategically in integrating ESG matters for long-term sustainability,” Veerinderjeet says.
“By the end of the conference, delegates will take away useful insights into ESG and sustainability that can be incorporated into their organisations for better business performance. At the same time, the conference provides a great opportunity for delegates to future-proof and upskill themselves for a business landscape that is increasingly ESG-oriented,” Shanmugam adds.
Source: https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/leading-esg-agenda-business-drive-bigger-global-sustainability-vision