Okay, here is a detailed article based on the JICPA announcement about the IFAC SME Sustainability Survey, written in an easy-to-understand manner.
JICPA Highlights IFAC’s Global Survey on SME Sustainability Efforts
Tokyo, Japan – May 15, 2025 – The Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (JICPA) announced today that the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) is conducting a global survey focused on how Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are addressing sustainability.
According to the announcement released by JICPA at 00:49 JST on May 15, 2025, IFAC has launched the “SME Sustainability Survey.” This initiative aims to gather crucial data and insights into the current state of sustainability adoption, challenges, and opportunities faced by SMEs around the world.
Why Focus on SMEs and Sustainability?
SMEs are often called the “backbone” of national economies, making up a vast majority of businesses and employing a significant portion of the workforce globally. While large corporations are increasingly under pressure to report on their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impacts, sustainability is also becoming vital for smaller businesses for several reasons:
- Supply Chain Pressure: Large clients often require their SME suppliers to meet certain sustainability standards.
- Access to Finance: Investors and lenders are starting to consider sustainability performance.
- Attracting Talent: Employees, especially younger generations, prefer to work for socially responsible companies.
- Risk Management: Addressing environmental and social risks (like climate change impacts or labor issues) can protect the business.
- Innovation and Efficiency: Implementing sustainable practices can lead to cost savings (e.g., energy efficiency) and new business opportunities.
However, SMEs often face unique challenges compared to larger entities. They may have limited resources, less specialized expertise, and difficulty navigating complex sustainability reporting frameworks.
About the IFAC SME Sustainability Survey
Recognizing the critical role SMEs play and the evolving landscape of sustainability, IFAC is undertaking this global survey. The primary goals of the survey are to:
- Understand the Current Landscape: Map out the extent to which SMEs are currently aware of and implementing sustainability practices.
- Identify Barriers and Drivers: Determine what hinders (e.g., cost, lack of knowledge) and what encourages (e.g., customer demand, regulatory requirements) SMEs to adopt sustainable measures.
- Assess Support Needs: Understand what kind of support SMEs require, particularly from accounting professionals and their representative bodies.
- Gather Data for Policy and Strategy: Provide valuable data that can inform policymakers, professional accounting organizations like JICPA, and others on how best to support SMEs on their sustainability journey.
The survey is likely targeting accountants who serve SME clients, as they are often in a unique position to observe and understand the sustainability efforts and challenges faced by these businesses.
JICPA’s Role
By publicizing this survey, JICPA is playing a key role in:
- Raising Awareness: Informing its members and the Japanese business community about this important global initiative.
- Encouraging Participation: Urging Japanese accountants and firms serving SMEs to participate in the survey, ensuring that the perspectives and experiences of Japanese SMEs are represented in the global findings.
- Highlighting Professional Relevance: Emphasizing the increasing importance of sustainability knowledge and services for accounting professionals serving the SME sector.
The results of the survey are expected to provide valuable insights that will help IFAC, JICPA, and other professional bodies develop resources, guidance, and support programs tailored to the specific needs of SMEs and the accountants who advise them in the realm of sustainability.
This survey is a significant step towards better understanding and supporting the critical role SMEs play in achieving a more sustainable global economy. JICPA’s announcement underscores the importance of this effort and the call for participation from the Japanese accounting community.
IFAC（国際会計士連盟）：SME Sustainability Survey（中小企業のサステナビリティ対応に関するアンケート調査）の実施について
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