TLDR: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is committed to embedding sustainability and digitalization into its long-term economic agenda, as highlighted by Lucia Real-Martin of ACCA. This strategy, crucial for resilient and inclusive growth, involves harmonizing sustainability reporting, developing ethical governance, and building digital trust, with a significant focus on responsible AI adoption and talent development.
KUALA LUMPUR – As Malaysia concludes its ASEAN chairmanship with the 2025 summit, the region is poised to translate its momentum in sustainability and digitalization into concrete, long-term actions. Lucia Real-Martin, Executive Director of Relationships at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), emphasized the critical need for capacity-building, ethical governance, and shared standards to ensure ASEAN’s growth remains resilient and inclusive.
Real-Martin noted that Malaysia’s leadership has successfully positioned sustainability and digitalization at the core of ASEAN’s economic priorities. “The next step is to ensure continuity, embedding these priorities into long-term capacity building, shared standards and ethical governance,” she stated.
ACCA is actively supporting this agenda through its partnership with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), particularly via the ASEAN Sustainability Reporting Advocacy Collaborative (ASRAC). Launched during Malaysia’s chairmanship, ASRAC aims to harmonize sustainability reporting across ASEAN, aligning with International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) guidelines while adapting to local contexts. This initiative is expected to bolster governance, talent development, and disclosure consistency.
During her recent visit to Malaysia, Real-Martin participated in a session at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS 2025), focusing on charting ASEAN’s sustainable future. She underscored the pivotal role of finance and accounting professionals in driving ASEAN’s green transition and sustainable investment. These professionals are essential for translating sustainability ambitions into measurable outcomes, identifying environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks, guiding sustainable investment decisions, and ensuring the integrity of disclosures. ACCA’s research highlights their crucial role in connecting purpose and performance, with ongoing collaborations aimed at building capabilities for trustworthy sustainability reporting and attracting green investments.
Real-Martin also identified key challenges in ASEAN’s sustainability reporting landscape: fragmented frameworks, inconsistent regulation, and a shortage of skilled talent. She cited ACCA’s report, ‘Sustainability Reporting in ASEAN: An Overview of Current Developments,’ stressing that “harmonisation around ISSB standards is critical for building investor confidence and comparability.” ACCA is addressing these gaps by integrating sustainability, ethics, and assurance into core finance curricula through professional education and continuous professional development.
A significant aspect of ASEAN’s digital transformation is the emphasis on “Building Digital Trust and Responsible AI.” Real-Martin highlighted the necessity of robust ethical frameworks to underpin the region’s digital economy. Referencing ACCA’s AI Monitor report, she asserted that finance professionals are uniquely positioned as “digital guardians,” capable of applying professional skepticism, ethics, and accountability to the use of AI and data. ACCA is actively promoting responsible AI adoption and enhancing assurance in cybersecurity and algorithmic transparency through collaborations with agencies like the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and national digital ministries.
Furthermore, ACCA is committed to inclusive talent development, expanding access to professional education for women, rural, and underrepresented communities. In Malaysia, partnerships with Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) and the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) are designed to create pathways for Bumiputera students and strengthen the national accounting pipeline, ensuring broad participation and benefit from the economic transition. These efforts align with Malaysia’s goal of producing 60,000 professional accountants by 2030, with ACCA working alongside the Ministry of Finance, MIA, and local universities to accelerate qualification pathways and equip professionals with essential sustainability, data, and digital-assurance skills.
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Real-Martin concluded by emphasizing that partnership is paramount for ASEAN’s future success. “Governments, regulators, educators, and the private sector must collaborate on consistent metrics, capacity-building, and talent development,” she urged. Through global insights and regional partnerships, ACCA aims to transform shared ambitions into measurable economic outcomes, solidifying sustainability and digital growth as defining strengths for ASEAN’s next chapter.
