Oxford University’s Saïd Business School and AICPA & CIMA announced the launch of their second collaborative executive management programme on sustainability reporting strategies.

The eight-week Sustainability Reporting and ESG Data Management Programme offers mastery in globally recognised frameworks, such as those associated with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)  and European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). Designed for senior finance team members, consultants, auditors, and risk managers, the programme will help participants deliver business value and drive transparency, accountability and credibility in corporate sustainability reporting while achieving regulatory compliance.

“Accounting and finance professionals who complete this programme will have the necessary tools to lead their organisations in sustainability reporting, employ best practices in meeting compliance with evolving regulations, and will have a better ability to anticipate trends in this rapidly maturing area,” said Jeremy Osborn, global head of environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters for AICPA & CIMA.

The programme focuses on:

• integrating ESG data into decision-making processes
• leveraging technology to create business value
• fostering robust governance and control systems for sustainable growth
• identifying best practices in preparing for sustainability assurance
   

The programme uses a mix of multimedia learning material, webinars, and optional weekly group sessions led by the course tutors. Upon completion, participants will earn a digital certificate jointly signed by Saïd Business School and AICPA & CIMA, and will have the opportunity to develop a global network of contacts through Saïd Business School’s elumni community.

“Finance leaders sit at the intersection of strategy, compliance, and value creation,” said Amir Amel-Zadeh, Associate Professor of Accounting, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

“Fluency in sustainability reporting and ESG data management is therefore key. This programme equips finance professionals not only with the technical knowledge to meet evolving standards but also with the strategic insight to embed sustainability into the core of decision-making by translating ESG data into actionable insights.”

This is the second sustainability programme developed in tandem by Saïd Business School and AICPA & CIMA. In autumn 2023, the two parties introduced ESG and Sustainable Financial Strategy, an executive programme offered quarterly that takes a broader view of strategic concepts in sustainability, including organisational decision-making and resource allocation. The next cohort for that programme begins on 24 September.

For more information about both programmes, please visit the offerings’ description page.