SGV Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) Senior Director Crystal Aleli R. Cornell was one of the resource speakers at the 2nd Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Eastern Metro Manila Province Chapter (EMMC) General Membership Meeting and Webinar held on 13 January 2023. She talked about the role of accountants in sustainability reporting.
Crystal talks about the role of accountants in sustainability reporting
Crystal gave an introduction on sustainability and how it can create long-term value for organizations. She discussed the four pillars of sustainability (i.e., economic, environment, social and governance) and its drivers (i.e., institutional investors, standard-setters, regulators and government, employees, consumers, and society). She emphasized the importance of the connection between financial and non-financial aspects of the business in long-term value creation.
Crystal discussed the global and local developments around sustainability reporting. She also shared highlights of SGV’s publication titled “Beyond the Bottom Line: Sustainability Reporting in the Philippines” where SGV's CCaSS team reviewed how listed companies have responded to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) call to publish sustainability reports since 2019.
Crystal concluded her presentation by highlighting how accountants can lead sustainability initiatives. She also encouraged the participants to start their sustainability journey individually or within their organizations.
