Course Details

Sustainability and ESG reporting is moving rapidly from a “future consideration” to a core finance and governance issue for UK organisations. With the introduction of the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (SRS), evolving EU regulatory expectations, and the rollout of the ISSA 5000 assurance standard, finance teams are under increasing pressure to understand what is required, what is proportionate, and how to respond in practice.

This session is designed for accountants, auditors, and finance professionals who need a clear, practical understanding of the regulatory landscape in 2026 and how to integrate sustainability considerations into existing finance, risk, and governance processes. Attendees will gain clarity on what has changed, why it matters, and how to respond in a way that is credible, efficient, and defensible under audit and regulatory scrutiny.

In this session Jose Antonio Hopkins and Stephen Pell will cover the following topics:

  • 2026 regulatory landscape - what actually matters
     Overview of UK SRS, key EU developments, and the introduction of ISSA 5000, focusing on what finance teams need to pay attention to and what can be deprioritised.
  • What assurance teams will expect to see
     How sustainability information will be challenged under assurance, including governance, documentation, evidence, and consistency with financial reporting.
  • Internal buy-in and governance - getting the basics right
     How to set up proportionate governance, clarify roles and responsibilities, and secure buy-in across finance, risk, internal audit, and senior management.
  • Integrating sustainability risks into existing processes
     Practical ways to embed material sustainability risks into risk registers, financial planning, controls, and management reporting without creating parallel systems.
  • Common pitfalls and practical next steps for 2026
     Typical issues seen in practice, how to avoid over-complication, and a clear set of actions finance teams can take following the session.

 

By attending this session, you will:

  • Understand the key sustainability and ESG regulatory developments affecting UK organisations in 2026
  • Know what assurance teams are likely to expect and challenge
  • Be able to set up proportionate governance and ownership structures
  • Gain practical insight into integrating material sustainability risks into existing finance and risk processes
  • Leave with a clear, defensible approach you can apply within your organisation or client base

 

This session will be of most interest to: 

  • Accountants and finance managers
  • Auditors and internal audit professionals
  • CFOs and finance directors
  • Risk and compliance professionals
  • Advisors supporting clients with sustainability, governance, or reporting requirements

 

Course Level: Need to know (New and evolving regulation that accountants and finance professionals need to be aware of)

CPD Course Speaker

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.

neoeco

Stephen Pell

Stephen Pell is the co-founder and CEO of neoeco, and the creator of Financially-integrated Sustainability Management (FiSM)—a new category built to bring sustainability and finance into strategic alignment.

A former Auditor, Chartered Accountant, Chartered Tax Advisor, and two-time Accounting Excellence Award winner, Stephen has spent his career helping businesses make better decisions through better data. After scaling and exiting an award-winning accounting firm, he saw a new problem emerging: sustainability reporting had become a fragmented mess—filled with compliance theatre, disconnected data, and frameworks that failed to support real strategy. He set out to change that.

As a contributor to the ACCA Sustainability Guide, Stephen has helped define how finance teams can lead the sustainability transition—not as box-tickers, but as the truth-tellers and system-fixers modern business demands. He believes accountants and CFOs are uniquely positioned to drive impact, expose harmful practices, and lead with integrity.

With neoeco, Stephen is making sustainability reporting make sense again: simple, strategic, and decision-ready. No fluff. No ESG theatre. Just powerful tools that empower teams to act on what really matters—turning responsibility into competitive advantage.