IFAC revises global accounting education standards for sustainability reporting

The International Federation of Accountants has finalized a set of revisions to the International Education Standards to embed sustainability throughout the training of aspiring accountants, reinforcing the accounting profession’s role in supporting high-quality sustainability reporting and assurance while upholding integrity and professional quality.

The updates come at a time when the Trump administration has been rooting out environmental efforts across the federal government and beyond, pulling the U.S. away from other parts of the world, withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement and stopping sustainability efforts aimed at slowing the rapid pace of climate change.

“IFAC and our members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and a shared commitment to the public interest,” said IFAC CEO Lee White in a statement. “These revisions to the education standards ensure that professional accountants worldwide develop the right competencies to implement sustainability reporting and assurance standards effectively.”

The revisions to these foundational education standards establish a global baseline of sustainability competence to prepare accountants across the globe to implement sustainability-related disclosure and assurance standards. That includes standards issued by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants and the International Sustainability Standards Board, as well as those under development by the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board.

IFAC is embedding sustainability concepts throughout the IES learning outcomes addressing initial professional development, so accountants can connect financial and sustainability data and information. A new assurance competence area introduces learning outcomes that enable accountants to develop a strong foundational understanding of assurance fundamentals.

The revisions promise to improve accountants’ ability to assess sustainability impacts on business models, value chain, and organizational strategy. They will reinforce skills such as decision making, adaptability, collaboration and other forms of behavior.

Expanded explanatory materials in the standards offer extra guidance to facilitate implementation by professional accounting organizations, universities and training programs.

In addition, IFAC has modernized IES 6, Initial Professional Development – Formal Assessment of Professional Competence, to introduce two new principles, integrity and authenticity, as well as update the principle of equity, alongside enhanced guidance on hybrid and remote assessments.

IFAC is asking all of its stakeholders to start preparing for implementation of the revised education standards, with early adoption encouraged ahead of the July 1, 2026 effective date.

IFAC is also encouraging its members and other stakeholders to request permission to translate the revised standards into their local languages. They can request permission through the IFAC website here.

To support its members in adopting and using the revised standards, IFAC has developed a package of resources, including two fact sheets, a frequently asked questions document, and two bases for conclusions, which explain the changes to learning outcomes, including the rationale for what was changed and what wasn’t.

Two webinars will be held in April to give global audiences an overview of the revised standards and their application, as well as an opportunity to address specific questions.

Each of the revised standards — IES 2, 3, 4 and 6 — has been published in full ahead of the anticipated release of an updated Handbook of International Education Pronouncements in late 2025.