Helping businesses get disclosure‑ready

Mandatory sustainability reporting is already underway for Australia’s largest companies. For many smaller organisations who haven’t been reporting voluntarily, it is fast becoming a practical reality. 

To help businesses get ready, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), in partnership with the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB), has released a new suite of interactive e‑learning modules. 

The recently released Modules 1–3 are designed to build foundational understanding of concepts that underpin the climate‑related financial reporting requirements under the Corporations Act 2001. The launch marks a key milestone in a national capacity‑building effort.

ASIC commissioned UTS to develop the learning resources, bringing together the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures, Climate KIC Australia, and the UTS Business School’s Centre for Climate Risk and Resilience, alongside learning design partner Studio 3 Learning.

While large organisations may already be deep into climate risk planning, Group 2 and 3 entities – many of which will begin reporting from July 2026 – often face a steeper learning curve. The new modules are designed to meet that challenge head‑on, offering clear, self‑paced learning focused on the essentials.

Importantly, the content is not just for accountants or compliance teams. It’s intended to support a broader ecosystem – from directors and advisers to auditors, employees and small‑to‑medium businesses – who all play a role in sustainability reporting.

“The challenge with climate disclosure isn’t just meeting new standards”, said Alison Atherton, from the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures.

“It’s ensuring organisations have the knowledge to produce disclosures that are coherent, consistent and decision‑useful. That means strengthening climate literacy across finance, governance and executive teams.”

The e‑learning modules build on previously released guidance and are the first step in a broader rollout. Modules 4–8, covering topics such as transition risks, emissions accounting and governance, will follow soon, supported by industry roadshows in major cities in May to help organisations engage directly with the new requirements.

“This project reflects the importance of collaboration between regulators, educators and industry,” said Professor Martina Linnenluecke, from the UTS Business School’s Centre for Climate Risk and Resilience. 

“By working closely with partners, we’ve developed learning resources that translate technical reporting requirements into practical insights that organisations can apply as they strengthen their sustainability and climate risk understanding.”

As sustainability reporting moves from policy to practice, the message is clear: building capability is no longer optional – and these new learning resources are designed to help Australian businesses do exactly that.