2021 IFAC EdExchange Summit: Leading Sustainability
Dates: October 12-14, 2021 (COMPLETED)
IFAC is dedicating our second annual virtual summit to sustainability and helping professional accountants do different things with the skills and competencies they already have in their toolbox.
Our three-day summit in October will focus on the demand for organizations to act and the needs and perspectives of investors, regulators and public interest entities. It features speakers with global expertise in sustainability, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), integrated and sustainability reporting, sustainability-related investor needs, and more. It will help professional accountants, and the professional accountancy organizations that support them, understand—and take action to meet—growing demands for sustainability services from the public and private sector.
Available in English, French, Russian and Spanish
Keynotes and sessions will include live interpretation in French, Russian, and Spanish. Video recordings for sessions will also be available on the IFAC website following the event.

New Platform: So Much More than Zoom
Taking advantage of the virtual world, this year’s summit will take a place in a new platform built for virtual conferences by the American Accounting Association. The platform features an exhibit hall available 24 hours a day, conference chat function, speaker backgrounds and Zoom integration. Keynotes and sessions will also include live interpretation in French, Russian, and Spanish. Video recordings for sessions will also be available on the IFAC website following the event.
Registration: An Extra Step but Worth It
Leveraging this new platform requires registrants create an account (including Username and Password) to provide the necessary event registration information for the event and to enter the platform. This access and your new Username and Password allow you to enter the platform and visit exhibit booths outside of the event sessions, and for a short period after the Summit, and chat with other registrants. Your contact information will only be used for the summit and will be deleted by the AAA following the event. For additional information on how to register, see the IFAC EdExchange Registration Guide. Please contact info@aaahq.org with registration questions and education@ifac.org with any other questions.
Agenda
- Tuesday, October 12: The Demand for Organizations to Act
- 8:00 am EST-10:15 am EST
- Keynote speakers: Helle Bank Jorgensen, Leading with Purpose: Sustainability’s Opportunities and Challenges, and Mirtha Kastrapeli, The Changing Needs of the Investor
- Case study: Forico, From an Idea Seed to Valuing Sustainability Forestry
- Wednesday, October 13: Where and How to Start
- 8:00 am EST-10:45 am EST
- Panel: Expectations within an Organization, featuring speakers including a Fastly and Robinhood Markets board member, the Future Generations Commissioner of Wales, Korn Ferry (global recruiter), and The Luxury Network (Singapore)
- Case study: KPMG, The Crucial Role of Accountants in Tackling the Climate Crisis
- Case study: Black Sun PLC, Counting What Counts
- Thursday, October 14: Assured Sustainability and a Sustainable Profession
- 8:00 am EST-11:00 am EST
- Panel: The Role of the Auditor: Expectations of Audit Institutions and Regulators, featuring speakers from the African Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions - English Speaking (AFROSAI-E) and the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (South Africa)
- Panel: Ensuring A Long-Term Sustainable Profession: The Impact to Future Generations, featuring speakers from Dublin City University, KPI, and Messer Americas
- IFAC’s recent sustainability initiatives, including The State of Play in Sustainability Assurance
Session Descriptions
- Helle Bank Jorgenson, Leading with Purpose: Sustainability's Opportunities and Challenges
- Mirtha Kastrapeli, The Changing Needs of the Investor
- From an Idea Seed to Valuing Sustainable Forestry
- Panel Discussion - Expectations Within an Organization
- The Crucial Role of Accountants In Tackling the Climate Crisis
- Counting What Counts
- The Role of the Auditor: Expectations of Audit Institutions and Regulators
- Ensuring a Long-Term Sustainable Profession: The Impact to Future Generations
- IFAC Recent Initiatives Including the State of Play in Sustainability Assurance
Helle Bank Jorgensen, Founder and CEO, Competent Boards, kicks off our 2021 EdExchange Summit by bringing to life her experiences and reflections of the expectations of the accountancy profession in sustainability-related services by those charged with governance. Helle is a strategic and visionary director and tech entrepreneur with a 30-year track record in turning environment, social, governance (ESG), climate and sustainability risks into innovative and profitable business opportunities. A former PwC audit and advisory partner in Denmark and the US leading Sustainability & Climate Practices, Helle is also the creator of the world's first Green Account and Integrated Report.
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