The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) in collaboration with the Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA) Sustainability Centre of Excellence, has led the formation of the Sustainability Working Group Africa (SWGA).
The bodies note that the latest move comes in response to the growing importance of sustainability reporting.
The SWGA will focus on advancing sustainability reporting and business practices across the continent.
It will also focus on the role of professional accountants and experts in fostering better standards and enabling cross-border collaboration.
The newly established SWGA will work towards harmonising sustainability initiatives across different jurisdictions.
It will leverage stakeholder observers to align institutions and foster collaboration between sectors.
This approach will help drive collective impact and improve sustainable business practices in Africa.
The SWGA will be led by ACCA and PAFA, with an advisory panel of experts, including ACCA members and other specialists.
The panel will evaluate jurisdiction-specific case study insights and provide recommendations to the Forum for Advancing Sustainability and Integrated Reporting in Africa, which is being set up by PAFA.
The advisory panel’s role is to ensure that sustainability initiatives are aligned across various jurisdictions, creating opportunities for development partners, regulators, and public institutions to collaborate.
The initiative aims to improve sustainable finance strategies, strengthen regulatory capacity, and integrate sustainability into financial and policy frameworks across Africa.
By enhancing cross-jurisdictional alignment, the SWGA seeks to drive a comprehensive approach to sustainability and reporting.
ACCA Africa director Jamil Ampomah said: “Accountants play a vital role in tackling climate change and driving sustainability. Collaboration among like-minded professionals is essential, and SWGA demonstrates how working together can elevate the profession for the benefit of Africa’s economies.”
PAFA CEO Alta Prinsloo said: “Accountants are becoming increasingly influential as agents and architects of change, bringing the expertise, insight, and technical skills that businesses need to adopt sustainable practices and drive sustainability reporting. We are proud to be at the forefront of this progress in Africa.”
Earlier in February 2025, ACCA called on the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) to uphold sustainability commitments within the UK Stewardship Code.
