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United Accountants CEO: Sustainability disclosure no longer optional, full system redesign needed
Haytham Torkey, CEO & Managing Partner at United Accountants — a member of Nexia International — said that implementing sustainability and climate-related financial disclosure standards requires an integrated approach that begins with understanding impact and ends with building a fully auditable disclosure system.
He made the remarks during the 16th annual Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Conference (16th CSR Egypt and Sustainability Conference) under the theme of “The Right Place to Ask the Right Questions… Ask and Act”.
Start with impact before compliance:
Torkey said the first step in aligning with international sustainability standards is understanding impact, through analyzing how new requirements differ from existing reporting systems within organizations and their operating groups.
Materiality defined through value chain:
The United Accountants CEO noted that a key stage is determining materiality by developing a full understanding of the value chain and identifying the most relevant topics for disclosure in line with ESRS requirements, ensuring focus on information that is most material to performance.
Assessing maturity across systems, governance:
Torkey said successful implementation depends on assessing organizational maturity across processes, data models, governance structures, and policies, as well as understanding how roles, knowledge, and capabilities are distributed within the organization.
Redesigning reporting structures:
He added that the transformation phase begins when companies redesign reporting structures and operating models to improve efficiency across groups and subsidiaries, while building systems aligned with modern disclosure requirements.
Data quality, assurance become critical:
Torkey emphasized that ensuring data quality and availability, along with implementing formal assurance processes, is essential to strengthen the reliability, credibility, and auditability of sustainability reports.
Disclosure shift becomes competitive requirement:
He concluded that the move toward integrated sustainability disclosure is no longer optional, but a strategic requirement to improve organizational efficiency and strengthen competitiveness in global markets.
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