Academy
The A4S Academy is an online learning and implementation programme for finance leaders to embed sustainability. The programme empowers and equips finance teams with the skills needed for their businesses to succeed in the face of environmental and social risks and opportunities.
Making a direct, practical impact on the organization is built into the course. Following a series of seminars, participants develop and deliver a personal implementation plan to drive change within their organizations.
key information
- Start date: 1 September 2025
- Format: online seminars, followed by practical implementation within own organization
- Hours: 15-30 hours of contact time, and 2-4 hours of pre-work per seminar*
- Language: English
- Participants: finance professionals (more details on eligibility can be found below)
- Geography: global
We are currently finalizing the details for the 2025/26 programme. Please register your interest to be kept up to date with the latest developments and news.
*estimates do not include time spent on Implementation Plans.
Contact us: academy@a4s.org
Download our Academy brochure
Download our Academy brochure to see the course outline, Syllabus and eligibility criteria.
Thank you for downloading our brochure.
Download our Academy brochure to see the course outline, Syllabus and eligibility criteria.
THE BENEFITS FOR YOU
Equipping you with technical know how
88% of participants said they have gained the technical knowledge and skills to lead on change.
Empowering you with leadership and influencing skills
93% of participants have felt empowered to drive change as a result of the A4S Academy.
Connecting you to resources and a peer network
96% of participants would recommend the A4S Academy to a peer or colleague.
“To convene on a regular basis, with like-minded practitioners, in an environment where we are sharing and learning from leaders, in an open forum like A4S, has been a highlight for me. I take with me many learnings, technical and soft skills, that I will continue to leverage in my role to further drive impact.” – Elizabeth Kwong, Vice President, Treasurer, Autodesk
THE BENEFITS FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION
Creating positive change within your organization
Participants are supported to develop and deliver a 12-month implementation plan that will help integrate sustainability into strategy, processes and decision making.
Building a finance team that is fit for the future
The role of the finance professional is changing – organizations need to address capability gaps and equip their finance teams with the skills and competencies required to build a sustainable, resilient future.
Enabling your organization to deal with social and environmental risks and opportunities
Participants will learn from industry experts and global leaders, and have access to the latest tools and resources needed to succeed.
“Involvement in the A4S Academy is having a positive, tangible impact to how we are running our business.” - Stanley Polomski, Senior Vice President and Controller, Campbell Soup Company
WHY CFOS SHOULD SEND THEIR TEAMS
In a recent survey of finance leaders (A4S Finance Leaders’ Sustainability Barometer), it was found that there is a gap between sustainability ambitions and the work needed to make them a reality. Less than half of those surveyed believed their finance team had the skills and competencies required to remedy this gap.
“There’s no better place than the A4S Academy to build a coalition of the willing… through the A4S Academy you can turn the problems that face you today into fantastic opportunities” Javier Echave, Chief Financial Officer, Heathrow Airport Holdings |
Hear why CFOs send their teams to the Academy
Further Information
ELIGIBILITY
Participants must be finance professionals. For example:
- Divisional CFO or functional head for FTSE100, S&P 500 or equivalent
- Reporting directly to the CFO for smaller organizations
- Participants must have the capacity and aspiration to lead and/or influence change within the finance function.
- Participants must be endorsed by their Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
Typical participants include: Divisional CFOs, Controllers, Treasurers, Head of Investor Relations, Head of Internal Audit, Financial, Planning & Analysis Leaders, Head of Financial Reporting.
Knowledge of sustainability issues will be useful but is not essential.
FEES
The standard fee for the programme is £4,500 per participant.
A 20% discount is available for organizations sending more than five participants – why not use this as an opportunity to send your whole Finance Leadership Team?
CONTENT COVERED
Participants have access to a variety of knowledge-based materials, experienced practitioners and skills development sessions to support them in embedding sustainability.
Content covered on the programme includes:
- Strategic planning
- Budgeting
- Management information
- Capex
- Natural, social and human capital accounting
- Debt finance
- Reporting and investor engagement
- TCFD and transition plans
- Scope 3 emissions accounting for financial institutions
For more information on the course content and structure, download our brochure.
WHAT PREVIOUS PARTICIPANTS HAVE SAID
- 89% of participants reported that their participation made an impact on sustainability integration in their organization within a year
- 88% of participants said they gained the technical knowledge and skills to lead on change
- 93% of participants have felt empowered to drive change as a result of the Academy
- 96% of participants would recommend the A4S Academy to a peer or colleague
“A4S Academy participants are being viewed as the thought leaders in the organization.”
Gregory Giardiello, Deputy Finance Chief Operating Officer, QBE
“Participating in the A4S Academy has given me valuable insights and useful tools to help me reach our sustainability objectives. I would recommend the A4S Academy to all finance professionals who seriously want to make their organizations more sustainable.”
Fred Nieuwland, Chief Investment Officer, Mars, Inc.
WHY WE SET UP THE A4S ACADEMY
Businesses are at a critical juncture. Over the next few decades, the success and failure of organizations will be determined by how they respond to environmental and social risks. There are also huge opportunities to be made from the innovation, efficiencies and new markets which sustainable business models create.
To achieve a sustainable economy, businesses need to be able to deliver financial returns in the short and long term, while generating positive value for society and operating within environmental constraints.
Finance has a vital role to play. To ensure finance professionals excel in the new economy, their skills and competencies need updating. How will they price externalities, how will they navigate the changing business landscape and how can they deliver on ‘purpose’?
There is a lot to explore. However, with our global network, we can show you what today’s leading companies are doing and provide up-to-date tools and frameworks for putting it all into practice.
There’s never been a better time to join the A4S Academy.
A4S ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS
The A4S Academy awards are given to participants who have shown outstanding commitment and resilience, innovation and inspiration, and become true champions of sustainability in finance, delivering real change in their organizations.
INTERACTIVE WEBINARS
As part of the Academy, you will participate in a series of live ‘Sustainability in Action’ webinars delivered by A4S. These interactive webinars supplement your learning and cover specific content focusing on how organizations can embed sustainability considerations into finance processes. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with others including expert speakers, to gain practical insights into implementing changes and overcoming challenges.
Discover upcoming webinars >
Watch previous events on demand >
CPD/CPE
The Association of Corporate Treasurers
The A4S Academy programme is accredited by the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
A4S Academy participants who are also ACT members can claim CPD points through participating in the A4S Academy programme.
If you require evidence of your CPD hours to demonstrate your compliance with ACT CPD requirements, please let us know.
“The Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT) is the only professional treasury body with a Royal Charter. We set the global benchmark for treasury excellence and lead the profession through our internationally recognised qualifications, by defining standards and by championing continuing professional development. In alignment with our vision, we are delighted to accredit the A4S Academy with its goal of embedding sustainability within organisations by training senior finance professionals. The ACT, which is also part of the Green Education Finance Charter, fully supports A4S in this endeavour and recognises the importance of sharing this programme with our treasurers. We look forward to working closely with the A4S Academy going forward as we all focus on delivering the changes that are needed for a more sustainable future.” – Janet Legge, Chief Executive Officer, The Association of Corporate Treasurers
For more information, see here.
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
ICAEW doesn’t accredit courses. However, ICAEW has agreed that ICAEW members can claim verifiable CPD hours through participating in the A4S Academy programme.
ICAEW members need to undertake a minimum number of CPD hours that are both verifiable and relevant to their role. Visit the ICAEW website to learn more about CPD requirements.
Participating in the A4S Academy will continue to count towards your CPD requirements. If you need evidence of your CPD hours and the Academy’s relevance to your role, email us at academy@a4s.org.
National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
A4S is a registered provider for continuing professional education (CPE) with NASBA. Please note that within the A4S Academy programming, we only provide CPE certificates for the Sustainability in Action webinars. We are not able to provide certificates for other A4S Academy sessions at this time. CPE requirements differ by state within the U.S. and all A4S Academy sessions may be eligible for CPE in certain states. Please check your state’s requirements and email academy@a4s.org if you have any questions.
Participating organizations
Over 500 participants from 200+ organizations have already taken part in the A4S Academy, including:
ABN AMRO
Absa Group
Allianz Global Investors
Amazon
Ampol
Anglian Water
Autodesk
Bank of America
BBC
British Land
BTG Pactual
Burberry
Campbell Soup
Capita
Caterpillar
Centrica
CHANEL
Cisco
City of Cape Town
Coca Cola Amatil
Couche Tard
Deutsche Post DHL
Diageo
Direct Line Group
Domino’s Pizza
Equinix
Fonterra
Gap
Greggs
GSK
Heathrow Airport Holdings
HM Treasury
Ingredion
Intel
Japfa
John Lewis Partnership
Levis Strauss & Co
Mars
MassMutual
Metro Pacific Investments
Moody’s
National Grid
NatWest Group
NFU Mutual
Olam Food Ingredients (OFI)
OMERS
Procter & Gamble
QBE
Ramsay Health Care
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
Royal London
S&P Global
Sainsbury’s
Salesforce
SAP
Schneider Electric
Securian Financial
Sky TV
Stora Enso
Suzano
Tate and Lyle
TELUS
Temasek International
The Co-operators Group
THE HERSHEY COMPANY
Unilever
United Overseas Bank
Verizon
Zurich Insurance Group
