AI study, sustainability, and two conferences to watch

Episode 3 of Chartered Accountants Global Update is out, and it's a packed one. Host Olivia brings listeners a mix of AI, sustainability, and events worth marking in the diary.

First up is a call to action. Chartered Accountants Worldwide, alongside its network of member institutes and research firm Ipsos, has launched Wave 2 of its global study on AI and the future of the profession. It builds on Wave 1 and digs into how traditional AI, generative AI, and now agentic AI are reshaping the roles, skills, and expectations of chartered accountants everywhere. The survey takes about fifteen minutes, responses stay confidential, and the results will shape how institutes support members through this next wave of change, from training and standards to the tools firms invest in. If you haven't taken part yet, the link is available through your institute or on the Chartered Accountants Worldwide website.

From AI, the episode turns to sustainability. The CA Sustainability Community, run by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, continues its practical, webinar based series, with the next session on 22 September. The focus stays grounded in how to demonstrate sustainability risks and opportunities to boards, clients, and investors, making it a low effort way to stay current.

Looking further ahead, two flagship events land this October. The ICAS Sustainability Summit 2026 takes place on Wednesday 7 October at Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, with a hybrid option to join online. Expect a keynote from Fiona Watson of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, plus a panel featuring voices from Transition Finance Scotland, GSK, Swire Pacific, and more, all exploring how sustainability translates into commercial value.

Just over a week later, on Friday 16 October, the ICAEW Annual Conference 2026 takes over the InterContinental London at The O2. Mathematician and broadcaster Professor Hannah Fry headlines, exploring how AI and emerging technology are reshaping business and society. The day also includes specialist afternoon tracks across practice, industry, and policy, plus up to eight hours of CPD. Tickets are 295 pounds, with full details available through ICAEW.

Three things to act on this episode: add your voice to the AI global study, get sustainability savvy with the CA Sustainability Community, and pencil in Edinburgh and London for October. Links to everything covered are available at charteredaccountantsworldwide.com.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hello, I'm Antja Dirks from Chartered Accountants Worldwide. This podcast has been researched and drafted with the support of AI. It's then reviewed, shaped, and signed off by our human editorial team. Even though we use AI to create this podcast, every story you hear is real. Every person we profile is a real person doing remarkable things. Every statistic is checked, every event is verified, every episode is approved by us, the human editors, who care deeply about this profession. Technology we use with purpose, oversight, and professional judgment exactly how it should be used. So, without further ado, I'm going to hand you over to Olivia.

SPEAKER_01 0:50

Hello and welcome back to Chartered Accountants Global Update, the audio newsletter that keeps you connected to what matters across our profession worldwide. This is episode three. Today we've got a good mix for you. We're talking artificial intelligence, we're talking sustainability, and we're talking about two major conferences worth putting in your diary. Wherever you're listening from, grab your coffee and let's get straight into it. Chartered Accountants Worldwide, together with its network of member institutes and the research firm Ipsos, has launched Wave 2 of its global study on AI and the future of the profession. If you took part in Wave 1, you'll know the value of this work. If you didn't, here's the short version. This is one of the most comprehensive looks yet at how traditional AI, generative AI, and now agentic AI, are reshaping the roles, skills, and expectations of chartered accountants in markets around the world. And here's why it matters to you specifically. The findings only reflect the profession accurately if the profession actually shows up to answer. Your experience, whether you're using AI daily, experimenting cautiously, or watching from the sidelines, is exactly the kind of perspective this study needs. It takes about 15 minutes, every response is confidential, and the results will directly shape how institutes support members through this next wave of technological change, from training and standards to the tools firms choose to invest in. So if you haven't completed the survey yet, please do. You'll find the link through your institute or on the Chartered Accountants Worldwide website. And if you have questions, your institute representative can point you in the right direction. Now let's move from AI to another topic that isn't going anywhere: sustainability. The CA Sustainability Community, run by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, continues to bring together finance professionals who want to build real capacity in this space. It's a practical, webinar-based series, and the next session lands on the 22nd of September. What makes this community worth your time is that it doesn't stay abstract. The conversations focus on how to actually demonstrate sustainability risks and opportunities to the stakeholders you report to, whether that's a board, a client, or an investor. Given how quickly sustainability reporting requirements continue to evolve, this is a low effort, high-value way to stay current, and a good place to compare notes with peers who are wrestling with the same questions you are. Registration details are on the Chartered Accountants Worldwide events page. Speaking of sustainability, let's look further ahead to two flagship events this October, starting north of the border. The ICAS Sustainability Summit 2026 takes place on Wednesday, the 7th of October, running from 3 till 7 in the evening, UK time. It's a hybrid event, so you can join in person at Dovecott Studios in Edinburgh or dial in online from wherever you are. The summit is built around a simple but important question. How does sustainability translate into commercial value and long-term resilience? Expect a keynote from Fiona Watson of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, along with a strong panel including voices from Transition Finance Scotland, the University's Superannuation Scheme, GSK, SWAR Pacific, and Lloyd's Corporate and Institutional Bank. It's a genuinely useful session if you're thinking seriously about the accountant's evolving role in sustainability strategy, risk oversight, and reporting, and registration is open now for both the in-person and online options. And then just over a week later, on Friday the 16th of October, the ICAEW Annual Conference 2026 takes over the Intercontinental London at the O2. This one carries a big theme: turning business complexity and change into value. The headline speaker is Professor Hannah Fry, the mathematician and broadcaster known for making thorny technical ideas genuinely engaging. She'll be exploring how AI and emerging technology are reshaping business and society, including how they influence the decision-making biases we all bring to risk management. Beyond the keynote, the day includes specialist afternoon tracks across practice, industry, and policy, so there's something relevant whether you're in a firm, in industry, or shaping policy from the inside. It also carries up to eight hours of CPD, which is a nice bonus for a single day out of the office. Tickets are £295, and full details, including the agenda and booking, are available directly through ICAEW. So, quite a bit to act on this episode. Contribute your voice to the AI Global Study, get sustainability savvy with the CA sustainability community in September, and pencil in Edinburgh and London for two excellent sustainability and leadership-focused events this October. Individually, each of these is a small commitment. Together, they're a genuinely useful way to stay ahead of where the profession is heading. That's everything for this episode of Chartered Accountants Global Update. You'll find links to everything we covered today, the AI study, the sustainability community, and both conferences over at Chartered AccountantsWorldwide.com. Thanks for listening, and we'll catch you next time.