logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
48m 39s

Talking ESG: Sustainability in the finan...

PWC
About this episode

Did you enjoy this episode? Text us your thoughts and be sure to include the episode name.

With so much focus on upcoming mandatory sustainability reporting requirements from jurisdictions around the globe, it’s sometimes easy to lose sight of the fact that many of the biggest sustainability-related topics often can and do have an impact not just on sustainability disclosures, but also on the financial statements. 

Both the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB)® have provided educational materials on the topic of ESG in the financial statements under existing accounting standards – and both boards have added projects to their respective agendas that will impact accounting standards in the future.


This week, Heather Horn was joined by Scott Bandura, Valerie Wieman, and Katie Woods, who are all following sustainability-related projects from accounting standard setters, to share their insights on these projects and provide reminders under current accounting standards for reporting on ESG topics in the financial statements. Katie also addresses the topic of connectivity between sustainability reporting and financial reporting.


In this episode, you’ll hear discussion of:

  • 2:13 - An overview and status of the FASB’s sustainability-related agenda projects
  • 7:57 - An overview and status of the IASB’s project on climate in the financial statements
  • 13:45 - The connectivity between the IASB’s climate project and sustainability reporting
  • 24:20 - Challenges in reporting the impacts of sustainability related matters
  • 31:24 - Definitions of “pollution mechanisms” and “carbon offsets” as well as the accounting and reporting implications of these instruments
  • 36:17 - An overview of the types of power purchase agreements and their accounting and reporting implications
  • 43:27 - Final advice for companies to help them stay up to speed with evolving guidance

Scott Bandura is a partner in the National and Global Accounting Consulting Services at PwC Canada with over 20 years of experience advising clients on international accounting standards. 

Valerie Wieman is PwC’s National Office Editor-in-chief. She is involved in the creation, development, and publication of our brand-defining thought leadership, with a focus on ESG reporting. Prior to this role, she was part of PwC’s National Office SEC Services group, helping clients navigate SEC rules and regulations.


Katie Woods is a Director in PwC's Global Accounting Consulting Services group and advises on ESG and international accounting standards. Katie specializes in the new and emerging ESG reporting frameworks working across the PwC network. She has over 30 years of experience working with a broad range of companies. Katie speaks regularly on a range of ESG and accounting topics at national and international seminars.


Heather Horn is PwC’s National Office thought leader, responsible for developing our communications strategy and conveying firm positions on accounting and financial reporting matters. She is the engaging host of PwC’s accounting and reporting weekly podcast and quarterly webcast series. With over 30 years of experience, Heather’s accounting and auditing expertise includes financial instruments and rate-regulated accounting.

Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to

Up next
Jul 8
Lease accounting reset - Embedded leases
We continue our lease accounting podcast miniseries with an episode focused on embedded leases. Some arrangements to provide services or purchase inventory rely on the use of a specific asset to fulfill the contract. Even if the word “lease” doesn’t appear, the rights conveyed to ... Show More
45m 11s
Jul 1
Lease accounting reset – Variable rents
We continue our lease accounting miniseries with a focus on variable lease payments, an area that can significantly influence lease classification and measurement. In this episode, we explore the complexities of usage-based and index-based payments, fair market rent adjustments, ... Show More
35m 44s
Jun 26
Sustainability now: ISSB clarifying greenhouse gas disclosures
A video of this podcast is available on YouTube, Spotify, or PwC’s website at viewpoint.pwc.comIn this episode, we highlight the proposed amendments to IFRS S2, the climate-related disclosure standard from the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). Learn how the cha ... Show More
27m 27s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
At GreenFin, financial institutions look to translate sustainability into plain English
In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we’re on the ground at the GreenFin conference, which convened stakeholders from across the green finance ecosystem. We hear from panelists and attendees about key themes from the event — the challenges of closing the climate financing ... Show More
29m 36s
Jan 2024
2024 trends that sustainability leaders are watching
We’re kicking off the New Year at the ESG Insider podcast with a look forward to the big trends driving the sustainability space for 2024. In the episode we speak to two sustainability leaders about the topics they’re watching in the year ahead.   Marina Severinovsky, Head of Sus ... Show More
29m 24s
Sep 2023
Talking international sustainability standards with ISSB’s Sue Lloyd
With Climate Week NYC just over a week away, we’re turning our attention to the global landscape for climate disclosure. Investors and stakeholders around the world have long clamored for more consistent and comparable climate-related disclosures, and in June 2023, the Internatio ... Show More
24m 53s
Aug 2023
What to expect from SBTi's net-zero standard for financial institutions
  On the ESG Insider podcast, we routinely hear about the critical role financial institutions play in the low-carbon transition. In this episode we're talking with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to learn about its soon-to-be-finalized net-zero standard for financial ... Show More
30m 26s
Aug 2022
How Chief Sustainability Officers are becoming a 'must-have' for companies
In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we explore the evolving role of the Chief Sustainability Offer, which is taking on greater importance in many organizations as awareness of environmental, social and governance issues grows.   In many companies, the CSO is now working i ... Show More
20m 2s
May 2023
A look at the unique decarbonization challenges in Asia
In this week’s episode of ESG Insider, we’re bringing you coverage of a sustainability summit that S&P Global Sustainable1 hosted in Singapore on May 16.    We caught up with conference speakers to learn their key takeaways and explore the challenges Asia faces on the path to net ... Show More
26m 3s
May 2023
On the ground in Paris: How French bank Société Générale approaches energy transition finance
Corporates, investors, analysts and academics gathered in Paris on May 10, 2023, for the S&P Global Sustainable1 Summit to discuss sustainability themes ranging from biodiversity to climate risk to net zero and the energy transition.   In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, ... Show More
24m 50s
Jun 2022
ESG and the future of sustainability
This episode features Osler’s Andrew MacDougall, partner, Corporate, in conversation with Michael Torrance, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of BMO Financial Group, about the importance of ESG to sustainability and corporate responsibility. ESG reinforces the idea ... Show More
50m 39s
Feb 2023
Regulation, supply chains, climate justice, employee burnout: The big challenges facing sustainability professionals
Last week, a few thousand sustainability professionals gathered for the annual GreenBiz conference hosted by GreenBiz Group. In this episode of the ESG Insider podcast, we’re on the ground talking with panelists and attendees about the biggest challenges and opportunities facing ... Show More
30m 51s
Feb 2023
How financial institutions are tackling Scope 3 financed emissions
In the past few years, hundreds of financial institutions have made big announcements about becoming net zero or carbon neutral by 2050.   But S&P Global Sustainable1 data indicates that many of these pledges don’t address Scope 3 financed emissions, which come from the investmen ... Show More
35m 6s