This lesson examines the growing importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting and other emerging regulatory issues affecting treasury .
7.1 ESG Reporting
ESG factors are increasingly central to financial regulation and reporting. The ACT Diploma includes “ESG reporting” as a core topic . Key elements include:
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Climate Risk:Â Assessing and reporting on climate-related financial risks.
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Sustainability Reporting:Â Disclosing environmental and social impacts.
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Governance:Â Corporate governance and ethical standards.
The ACT’s Certificate in Treasury also addresses the “recent trends and developments” and their “impact for treasury” .
7.2 Regulatory Environment
The regulatory environment has a significant impact on treasury operations. The ACT Diploma requires candidates to “examine the requirements and implications of the regulatory environment on treasury transactions, strategy and reporting” . Key areas include:
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Prudential Regulation:Â Capital and liquidity requirements.
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Conduct Regulation:Â Fair treatment of customers and market integrity.
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Tax Regulation:Â Domestic and international tax compliance.
7.3 Contemporary Issues
Treasury professionals must also manage broader events arising from changes in the economic and political landscape . This includes:
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Geopolitical Risk:Â The impact of political events on financial markets and treasury operations.
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Economic Policy:Â The impact of monetary and fiscal policy on interest rates and exchange rates.
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Technological Change: The impact of digitalisation and automation on treasury operations.