Course Details

Sustainability is now a core part of how clients are expected to manage risk, build resilience, and operate responsibly. Accountants and advisers are increasingly being asked for support on everything from decarbonisation roadmaps, energy efficiency investments, waste reduction strategies, climate and nature-related risk assessments, and supplier due diligence, to broader sustainability planning and alignment with government or investor expectations.


This course is designed to build your practical competence and mindset when advising clients on sustainability matters. We explore how to keep conversations focused on what’s relevant, avoid overcomplicating the advice, and lead with clarity and integrity. For example, complex frameworks like double materiality are often misapplied—leading to the identification of irrelevant topics and overreporting. This session will show you how to apply sustainability thinking proportionately, focusing on impact, governance, and long-term value. You don’t need to be a specialist—just equipped with the right tools and judgement.

 

In this course Jose Antonio Hopkins & Marta Santamaria cover the following topics:

  • What sustainability means in a business context – moving beyond regulation to resilience and value
  • How to help clients define sustainability goals that reflect their size, sector, and business model
  • Understanding net zero and climate commitments – what matters and how to explain them simply
  • A structured approach to developing a basic sustainability plan with clients (goals, actions, monitoring)
  • Common challenges – maintaining integrity, avoiding overreporting, and embedding sustainability into governance

 

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CPD Course Speaker

Integrating Capitals

Marta Santamaria

Marta has worked extensively in the sustainability transformation of several economic sectors, including the energy, food, built environment and finance sector. She has 20+ years of experience in assessing the value provided by nature, people, and society to inform and transform decision making.

Previously, she was Senior Director at the Capitals Coalition, where she was leading and advancing approaches to measure and value impacts and dependencies on nature, people and society. She is author of an extensive list of guidance and training materials, which she has been promoting across the world.

She has been advising several leading organizations, including the Taskforce on Nature-related financial Disclosures (TNFD), Science-based Targets Network (SBTN), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Impact Management Platform (IMP), the G7 Impact Taskforce, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Value Accounting Network (VAN). She is currently Ambassador of the Capitals Coalition.

Sustainability Consultant at Acclaro

Jose Antonio Hopkins

I’m a Chartered Accountant, Sustainability Consultant, Lecturer, and Speaker with international experience helping finance and audit teams integrate sustainability and climate risk into business strategy, risk, and reporting, with a strong focus on ISSB, TNFD, UK-CFD, and CSRD readiness.

After senior roles at KPMG and MHA (Baker Tilly UK), I now work independently, supporting businesses to turn sustainability frameworks into practical, credible tools for audit readiness, risk assessments, and long-term value creation. I’ve presented at venues including ExCeL London and the House of Lords, sharing practical insights on climate risk, strategy, and reporting.

Alongside my technical work, I also advocate for wellbeing and high performance in the profession, sharing my own journey of rebuilding energy and resilience through mindset, weightlifting, and cellular health.