Kuala lumpur: As Malaysia concludes its ASEAN chairmanship with the 2025 summit, the momentum around sustainability and digitalisation must now translate into long-term action through capacity-building, ethical governance, and shared standards, to ensure the region’s growth remains resilient and inclusive.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants’ (ACCA) executive director of relationships, Lucia Real-Martin, emphasized Malaysia’s leadership in embedding sustainability and digitalisation into the region’s economic agenda, highlighting the importance of continuity in these initiatives.
Real-Martin noted that ACCA is committed to sustaining this legacy through a partnership with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), particularly via the ASEAN Sustainability Reporting Advocacy Collaborative (ASRAC), launched during Malaysia’s chairmanship. This initiative aims to harmonise sustainability reporting across ASEAN using the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), adapting to local contexts, which will enhance governance, talent, and disclosure consistency.
She was recently in Malaysia for the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS 2025), where she spoke on ASEAN’s sustainable future and held several meetings with public and private sector partners.
Real-Martin emphasized the critical role finance and accounting professionals play in ASEAN’s green transition and sustainable investment agenda. She stated that these professionals are key to translating sustainability ambitions into measurable outcomes, identifying environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks, guiding sustainable investment decisions, and maintaining the integrity of disclosures.
She also pointed out three significant gaps in ASEAN’s sustainability reporting landscape: fragmented frameworks, inconsistent regulation, and a shortage of skilled talent, which hinder regional alignment. Citing ACCA’s report ‘Sustainability Reporting in ASEAN: An Overview of Current Developments,’ she stressed the importance of harmonisation around ISSB standards to build investor confidence and comparability.
Real-Martin highlighted the need for ethical frameworks in ASEAN’s digital transformation, with digital trust as the cornerstone of its digital economy. She noted that finance professionals are well positioned to act as digital guardians, applying professional scepticism, ethics, and accountability in the use of AI and data.
Through collaborations with agencies such as Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and national digital ministries, ACCA is promoting responsible AI adoption and enhancing assurance in cybersecurity and algorithmic transparency. ACCA also supports inclusive talent development by widening access to professional education, particularly for women, rural, and underrepresented communities.
In Malaysia, partnerships with Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) aim to expand pathways for Bumiputera students and strengthen the national accounting pipeline, ensuring broad participation and benefit from economic transitions.
Aligned with Malaysia’s goal of producing 60,000 professional accountants by 2030, ACCA is collaborating with the Ministry of Finance, the MIA, and local universities to widen access and accelerate qualification pathways.
Initiatives such as ACCA Accelerate, digital learning platforms, and targeted scholarships are equipping professionals with sustainability, data, and digital-assurance skills, focusing on developing future-ready professionals who can lead Malaysia’s sustainable and digital transformation.
Looking ahead, Real-Martin stated that partnership is key to success in ASEAN’s next chapter, calling for collaboration among governments, regulators, educators, and the private sector on consistent metrics, capacity-building, and talent development. Through global insights and regional partnerships, ACCA aims to transform shared ambitions into measurable economic outcomes, making sustainability and digital growth defining strengths of ASEAN’s future.