Sustainability Education: A Key Driver for EU Business Competitiveness

Date

Wed, 05/14/2025 - 09:30

Links

Registration link [1]

Event Type

L - Conference, forum

Organiser type

Federations / Associations

Section

Sustainable Dev.

Event Location

Online

Event Description

[2]

This high-level EU event on sustainability education emphasizes the importance of equipping academics and practitioners with the necessary skills to ensure Europe's businesses can meet sustainability reporting and assurance requirements. Key EU initiatives, including the Omnibus Package with proposed amendments to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDD), and the EU Union of Skills package, aim to align education and skills with market needs and emerging regulatory requirements.

Organised under the Patronage of the Polish presidency of the Council of the EU [3], the event supports the EU agenda for resilient, inclusive education and training systems, enhancing Europe's competitiveness, including for SMEs.

Event topics:

University Education: Preparing students for sustainability reporting.
Upskilling Professionals: Enhancing skills of accounting and finance professionals.
Assurance Service Providers: Educating and overseeing sustainability assurance providers.
Future Skills: Identifying key competencies for future accountants.
Attracting Talent: Strategies to attract and retain young professionals.
Educational Pathways: Aligning education with industry needs for sustainability.

Programme:

Online: “Sustainability Education: A Key Driver for EU Business Competitiveness"

09:30 - 09:35	Introduction & welcome by Chair: Agnieszka Jarosz, Head of Northern & Eastern Europe, ACCA
09:35 - 09:40	Keynote: Polish Government representative (TBC)
09:40 - 09:45	Keynote: Member of the European Parliament (TBC)
09:45 - 10:30	Panel discussion: Insights from Key Stakeholders on EU Business Competitiveness Moderator: Aidan Clifford, Advisory Services and Public Affairs Manager, ACCA Ireland Panellists: Julie Fionda, Deputy Head of Unit, Skills Agenda, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), European Commission Julian Müller, Sustainability Reporting Technical Manager, EFRAG Panos Prodromides, FCA, Chairman, Committee of European Auditing Oversight Bodies (CEAOB), Chairman of Cyprus Public Audit Oversight Board (CyPAOB) Begoña Giner, Chair of the European Accounting Association (EAA) Stakeholder Reporting Committee, member of EFRAG SRB Prof. Dorota Dobija, Department of Accounting Kozminski University
10:30 - 10:40	Q&A
10:40 - 10:45	Closing Remarks: Agnieszka Jarosz, Head of Northern & Eastern Europe, ACCA