Day 1
Climate leadership and governance essentials
The board's role in addressing climate change, exploring:
- its immediate impacts,
- evolving stakeholder expectations, and
- the fiduciary duties of non-executive directors (NEDs).
Understand how governance structures can effectively tackle climate challenges across all board committees. Then dive into the compliance landscape with an overview of key frameworks like TCFD, ISSB, and the Corporate Governance Code.
Gain insights into integrating climate considerations across governance practices, supported by real-world case studies.
Navigating risks and building strategic mindsets
Explore robust scenario analysis and risk management techniques to address financial and non-financial challenges in a complex world. Uncover opportunities for innovation and sustainable investment through group discussions and case studies.
Afterwards, delve into transformative mental frameworks, including systems thinking and adaptive mindsets, to foster long-term strategic vision and macro-stewardship in the face of climate and ESG challenges.
Day 2
Transition planning and strategic foundations
A practical guide to getting started on transition planning, including:
- assessing current positions,
- setting ambitions, and
- implementing actionable plans.
Gain insights from a guest speaker who shares real-world experiences in publishing a transition plan. Engage in an interactive session to identify barriers and solutions for your organisation's transition planning.
Afterwards, explore the TPT framework, its integration with regulatory requirements, and the interconnections between climate, nature, and people. Conclude with group discussions critiquing real-world plans to understand and define what excellence looks like in transition strategies.
Stakeholder mapping and managing conflicting priorities
Deepen your understanding of economy-wide transitions by exploring diverse stakeholder perspectives - investors, employees, and customers - and their interplay with policy.
Engage in a practical exercise on stakeholder mapping and spheres of influence to identify where your organisation can drive impactful change.
Learn strategies for navigating conflicting priorities, such as balancing verification frameworks like SBTi, and effectively making the business case for sustainability.
Conclude with a fireside chat featuring a Chapter Zero fellow, offering real-world insights and practical advice, followed by an interactive Q&A session.
Hannah Keartland
Hannah Keartland, the founder of Keartland & Co, a certified B Corp™, which helps business leaders navigate the sustainability transition.
Hannah has 20+ years experience leading innovation and change at director and board level with the unusual blend of leading innovation, finance and operations functions. She trained at Deloitte, is a Fellow of the ICAEW and a member of the ICAEW Sustainability Committee.
Having worked in and with charities and for-purpose businesses for the vast majority of her career (including Innocent Drinks and Cancer Research UK), Hannah knows how to integrate impact and successful business.
Sarah Reay
Sarah Reay is ICAEW's Climate Change Manager. She drives the development of content to help members in tackling climate issues, engages in policy work to support meaningful government action and helps to deliver ICAEW’s net-zero strategy.
Sarah is the Secretary of the ICAEW Sustainability Committee where experts from business, practice, NGOs, academia and the public sector discuss the issues facing accountants. She also sits on the Chartered Accountants Worldwide Sustainability Taskforce and the Sustainable Finance Education Charter.
Sarah also holds an MSc in Sustainable Development from Queens University Belfast and is the policy and advocacy co-coordinator for the UK Youth Climate Coalition.
Support for finance teams
ICAEW's Sustainability Accelerator Programme
For sustainability leaders looking to develop critical sustainability skills across their finance teams, ICAEW offers a flexible series of elearning resources designed to equip professionals with the strategic insight and technical expertise required to lead sustainability and ESG initiatives.