KPMG, Leveraging Microsoft Cloud, Launches ESG and Sustainability Training And Education Platform

KPMG has launched the KPMG ESG Academy -- an online platform that features educational content integrated directly into Microsoft application workflows and customers' third-party learning platforms, the global IT consulting and professional services firm said.

ESG Academy runs atop the KPMG Learning Enablement and Analytics Platform – which leverages Microsoft 365, Azure, Teams and Microsoft Viva Learning. The overall system delivers "foundational and advanced learning on a wide range of ESG topics and disciplines."

The ESG Academy features courses organized around four topics:

• State of the Planet and its People
• Corporate Sustainability and Transformation
• Capital Markets, ESG Responsibility and Regulation
• Climate Risk and Decarbonization

The system includes:

• Expert interviews
• Lectures from international profressors
• Certification of completion from KPMG and associated academic institutions
• Video content
• Digital, self-paced and dynamic learning experiences.

ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) specialists from universities, institutions and KPMG developed the content. Third-party educational partners were not disclosed by name. Pricing for the platform also was not disclosed.

KPMG: Sustainability and ESG Milestones, Partnerships

KPMG has made multiple sustainability moves worldwide. Examples include:

• Sweden: Worked with Microsoft to deliver a tech-enabled ESG reporting solution for international forestry group Södra, the companies said.
• Asia: Partnered with four organizations, through the KPMG ASEAN Decarbonization Hub, to “equip businesses in the region to meet their sustainability goals in the face of strong economic headwinds and uncertainties.”
• May 2023: Introduced the KPMG Circularity Tracker solution built atop Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability.
• March 2023: Microsoft touted KPMG as a key consulting partner focused on sustainability projects.
• February 2023: Partnered with ESI Monitor in the Crown Dependencies to provide sustainability consulting and ESG reporting services. The effort involves ESI Monitor’s FutureTracker, a software platform that allows customers to target, achieve and maintain sustainability goals.
• February 2023: Partnered with Workiva in an “enhanced alliance to deliver environmental, social, and governance (ESG) focused solutions and services."
• February 2023:  Hired Deloitte veteran Thitachai Apipongcharoen as climate risk manager for Southeast Asia.

Executive Perspectives on ESG Education

In a prepared statement about the KPMG-Microsoft partnership and the ESG Academy, John McCalla-Leacy, head of global ESG at KPMG, said: "In a time of deep uncertainty, business leaders are seeking information and insight to inform their decision making and futureproofing. The combination of economic, geopolitical and climate crises is making planning for growth more challenging than ever before. KPMG and Microsoft’s shared commitment to innovation and sustainability is what’s driving us to deliver new products and initiatives."

Continued McCalla-Leacy: "In my conversations with business leaders, I routinely hear that complexity, a lack of understanding and the challenge of actually accessing information and insights is what’s holding them back on their ESG journey. The launch of the KPMG ESG Academy is about bringing that much needed information together in one place – to empower decision makers to deliver positive change."

Added Microsoft VP of Cross Solutions Shelly Blackburn: "Since 2015, nearly 6,000 companies have announced science-based sustainability targets, representing a third of global market capitalization. Skilling is a vital prerequisite for driving progress. To meet their commitments, these companies need to gain insights, take action, and ultimately transform their businesses. We're proud to collaborate with KPMG on closing the skilling gap. The KPMG ESG Academy, powered by the Microsoft Cloud, provides the knowledge and tools that corporate leaders and their teams need to build more sustainable businesses that meet today’s critical climate challenges and tomorrow’s."

Blackburn oversees Microsoft's go-to-market strategy for sustainability solutions.

Related: See Microsoft's sustainability strategy and carbon-reduction goals here.