CEAN Global - Climate & ESG Assurance Network

15/09/2026

Quality cannot be compromised when we try the private sector to drive sustainable and climate finance. Reporting and their assurance of private sector investments is critical. ACCA and CEAN together aims to support people and institutions to deliver the quality check necessary.

This is the time to forward together toward quality in sustainable finance.

14/09/2026

𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐄𝐒𝐆 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐬 (𝐂𝐒𝐑𝐒 & 𝗖𝗦𝗥𝗔) 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗔

As institutional investors, international regulators, and capital market participants shift toward mandatory sustainability disclosures, CEAN Global Network has officially introduced for the first time in global its benchmark qualifications certification programme: The Certified Sustainability Reporting Specialist (CSRS) and the Associate Certified Sustainability Reporting Assurer (ACSRA).
Developed in strategic collaboration with international professional bodies including the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants ACCA these executive designations bridge the gap between financial reporting and non-financial sustainability disclosures on a global scale.

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗦𝗥𝗦 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲:

𝟭.𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Curricula are rigorously aligned with global baselines, including IFRS S1 (General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information), IFRS S2 (Climate-related Disclosures), and ISSA 5000 (General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements).
𝟮 .𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁-𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗚𝗛𝗚 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: Advanced training covering Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions measurement, carbon liability tracking, and climate scenario modeling under international standards.
𝟯. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: Practical assurance toolkits designed to evaluate non-financial data governance, internal control frameworks, and reporting verification to safeguard investor confidence.
𝟰. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗖𝗣𝗗) 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Fully structured to support ongoing professional competencies and compliance across global accounting and advisory networks.

The program rollout is overseen by executive leadership, including Prof. Suborna Barua, PhD (President & Chair of Boards), ABM Obaidullah (Managing Partner), Dr. Aditi Shams, PhD (Adviser, Assurance Services), and Prof. Melita Mehjabeen (Vice-President), alongside strategic partner leadership across regional and global markets.
Through these certifications, CEAN Global Network empowers finance leaders and advisory professionals to drive sustainable, transparent corporate reporting and sustainable capital growth worldwide.

14/09/2026

𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 & 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐀 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 (𝐂𝐒𝐑𝐒) 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞

CEAN Global Network is pleased to announce the official launching ceremony of the Certified Sustainability Reporting Specialist (CSRS) certification program, organized in strategic partnership with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
This milestone initiative marks a significant step forward in establishing global standards for ESG reporting and climate assurance. Developed under the strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CEAN Global and ACCA, the launch of the CSRS designation alongside the introduction of the Certified Sustainability Reporting Assurer (CSA) aims to equip finance, accounting, and sustainability professionals with the technical competencies required to navigate evolving global disclosure mandates.

The ceremony was graced by distinguished leadership from both organizations, including 𝐍𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐞, Head of South Asia at ACCA, alongside 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐦𝐚 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐂𝐂𝐀, Country Manager for ACCA Bangladesh, and 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐚, 𝐏𝐡𝐃, President and Chair of Boards at CEAN Global. The event also featured key leadership representation from CEAN Global, including 𝐀𝐁𝐌 𝐎𝐛𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡, Managing Partner, and 𝐃𝐫. 𝐀𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐬, 𝐏𝐡𝐃, Adviser & Assurance Services. Although unable to attend in person, 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚 𝐌𝐞𝐡𝐣𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧, Vice-President shared a warm and encouraging message, expressing her valuable support for this strategic alliance. The presence and contributions of these esteemed leaders underscore the regional and institutional commitment to elevating sustainability standards and advancing corporate governance across South Asian capital markets.

Key pillars of this milestone-launching initiative include:
𝟏. 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Official introduction of the CSRS and CSRA curricula, establishing benchmark qualifications for global corporate sustainability, carbon accounting, ESG disclosures, and independent ESG assurance.
𝟐.𝐂𝐏𝐃 & 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Aligning professional competencies with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) frameworks and global standards, including IFRS S1/S2 and ISSA 5000.
𝟑.𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 & 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Fostering direct engagement between accountancy leaders, regulatory bodies, and corporate executives to promote transparent, anti-greenwashing practices across capital markets.
𝟒.𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: Empowering corporate leaders and practitioners with practical toolkits for GHG accounting, climate risk evaluation, and sustainable reporting.

This collaboration reinforces our commitment to advancing sustainable finance and professional excellence on a global scale.

12/09/2026

We are pleased to connect with The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh-ICMAB to discuss strategic collaboration in ESG capacity building, research, and sustainability assurance. We look forward to building a strong institutional partnership!

CEAN Global Delegates Meet ICMAB President to Explore ESG and Sustainability Collaboration

The Climate & ESG Assurance Network (CEAN) Global delegates, led by its President Prof. Dr. Suborna Barua met with Mr. Md. Kausar Alam FCMA, President of ICMAB, on September 8, 2026, to explore opportunities for institutional collaboration.

The delegates also included its Vice President Prof. Dr. Melita Mehjabeen, Managing Partner ABM Obaidullah, and Dr. Aditi Shams, Advisor, Assurance Services, along with other representatives of CEAN Global.

Mr. Mohammed Salim FCMA, Head of ICMAB ESG Centre snd Past President of ICMAB, was also present at the meeting on behalf of ICMAB.

The discussions focused on the possibility of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CEAN Global and ICMAB, with particular emphasis on producing competent ESG and Sustainability Assurance Providers, developing professional capacity, promoting knowledge sharing and research, and strengthening expertise in climate and sustainability assurance. Both sides expressed their interest in establishing a structured partnership to support the growing demand for qualified professionals in ESG and sustainability assurance.

10/09/2026

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐒𝐂 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

CEAN Global (Climate & ESG Assurance Network) is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with MSC (MicroSave Consulting) through a newly executed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Designed to address the growing demand for global market integrity and independent oversight, this collaboration establishes an international framework to enhance transparency, disclosure rigor, and climate alignment across markets in Asia, Africa, and beyond.
By integrating CEAN Global’s core focus in independent ESG verification, third-party assurance, and Second-Party Opinions (SPOs) with MSC’s extensive technical experience in inclusive finance and climate resilience, the alliance will deliver critical market infrastructure globally. Key joint initiatives will encompass institutional capacity building for Inclusive Financial Service Providers (IFSPs), the development of international sector-specific assurance standards, and joint empirical research structured to mitigate greenwashing risks and facilitate credible, climate-aligned capital allocation.
The MoU signing was led by Suborna Barua, PhD, President and Chair of the Board at CEAN Global, alongside Zaki Haider, Country Director at MSC Bangladesh, and Akhand Tiwari, Executive Leader at MSC. We extend our sincere appreciation to the leadership and project teams supporting this initiative, including Graham A N Wright, Alvina Zafar, Elmee Tabassum, Rahul Rohit, Vikash Sinha, Sonakshi Saluja, Dr. Chindu Chandran, and Md. Salim Hosain

05/09/2026

𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐔 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐋𝐂

This strategic collaboration represents a unified commitment to elevating ESG integration, climate-risk governance, and independent sustainability assurance standards across Bangladesh’s financial sector.
During the session, executive leadership from both organizations gathered to discuss our shared roadmap for building verifiable sustainability metrics, ensuring regulatory alignment, and fostering long-term institutional trust.
​CEAN Global was represented by the President & Chair of Boards Dr. Suborna Barua and Advisor of Assurance Services Dr. Aditi Shams. Bangladesh Finance PLC was represented by Managing Director & CEO Md. Kyser Hamid, Group Chief Financial Officer Md. Sajjadur Rahman Bhuiyan, and Head of SME & Sustainable Finance M. Kohinoor Hossain.

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03/09/2026

𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐋𝐂 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐄𝐒𝐆 & 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

​CEAN Global is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh Finance PLC, establishing a strategic collaboration to strengthen Environmental, Social, Governance, and Climate (ESGC) integration, sustainable finance assurance, and climate-risk management across the sector. By combining CEAN Global’s independent ESG assurance standards with Bangladesh Finance PLC’s financial expertise, this partnership aims to elevate market transparency, enhance regulatory compliance, and build long-term institutional trust.
​Through this framework, both organizations will collaborate closely on independent ESG and sustainability reporting assurance, sustainable finance protocol alignment, and the development of robust climate risk frameworks. By establishing verified sustainability metrics and rigorous governance, CEAN Global and Bangladesh Finance PLC remain committed to mitigating greenwashing risks, driving capital toward green initiatives, and setting clear benchmarks for sustainable economic growth in Bangladesh.

CEAN Global was represented by President & Chair of Boards Dr. Suborna Barua and Advisor of Assurance Services Dr. Aditi Shams. Bangladesh Finance PLC was represented by Managing Director & CEO Md. Kyser Hamid, Group Chief Financial Officer Md. Sajjadur Rahman Bhuiyan, and Head of SME & Sustainable Finance M. Kohinoor Hossain.

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11/07/2026

Beyond the Data: Why Verification and Assurance are the True Currencies of the Carbon Market
​The Government’s recent directive to accelerate Bangladesh’s carbon credit action plan under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement is a welcome paradigm shift. However, as organizations mobilize to capture this emerging market, a fundamental truth remains: A carbon credit is only as valuable as the data backing it.

​In the global sustainability ecosystem, unverified data is a liability. Much like statutory financial reporting, carbon accounting now demands investment-grade rigor. International registries, compliance markets, and global institutional investors look for the exact same level of trust in environmental disclosures as they do in a financial balance sheet.

The Crucial Role of MRV, Verification, and Assurance
​To bridge this trust gap and turn climate metrics into tradeable assets, an institution’s strategy must be anchored in a structured Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) approach backed by independent assurance.
1. ​The MRV Blueprint: This framework transforms climate intent into an auditable process. Continuous Monitoring establishes data baselines; standard Reporting organizes this into transparent disclosures; and rigorous Verification ensures complete accuracy eliminating the severe reputational and financial risks of greenwashing.
2. ​The Power of Independent Assurance: Without formal third-party assurance, carbon assets cannot be successfully commercialized on global compliance exchanges. Moving toward a "reasonable assurance" standard provides the bulletproof audit trail that international buyers require, allowing local environmental initiatives to command premium prices on the global stage.

Where CEAN Global Adds Value
​At CEAN Global, we operate at the intersection of complex climate science, risk management, and corporate strategy, delivering top-tier advisory standards to our partners. We do not just help organizations launch sustainability initiatives; we design the institutional data architecture required to measure, report, and assure them.
​Our team acts as your strategic ex*****on partner by:
1. ​Designing Compliance-Ready MRV Frameworks: Setting up institutionalized data pipelines that capture accurate, real-time emissions and sequestration metrics.
2. ​Pre-Assurance Readiness & Auditing: Rigorously reviewing your sustainability disclosures to ensure they are fully prepared for independent third-party validation and international certification.
3. ​Strategic Commercialization: Aligning carbon asset development with robust risk management frameworks to ensure your credits withstand global institutional scrutiny.
​As Bangladesh positions itself on the global stage, CEAN Global is committed to ensuring our clients don't just participate in the carbon economy but lead it with verified, defensible, and high-value carbon assets.
​How is your organization preparing its carbon data architecture for independent assurance? Let’s discuss how to build an investment-ready strategy.

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02/07/2026

Strategic Insights: Navigating Bangladesh Bank’s BDT 1,000 Crore Green Refinancing Facility (SFD Circular No. 03/2026)

From a climate economics and corporate finance perspective, Bangladesh Bank’s new BDT 1,000 Crore revolving refinancing scheme for Green Industries and Factory Buildings represents a sophisticated and highly progressive macroprudential mechanism. By establishing a concessional interest rate framework capping borrower-level rates at 5% per annum against a 2% rate to Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs), the central bank effectively bridges the traditional "green premium" in industrial real estate development.
From an advisory standpoint, this far-sighted policy provides a clear, structured roadmap for institutional scale, anchoring commercial viability to rigorous technical excellence and robust compliance metrics.

I. Structural & Financial Dimensions of the Scheme
Optimized Amortization Alignment: The facility offers highly supportive maturity profiles tailored to the long-term gestation cycles of sustainable infrastructure, allowing a loan lifecycle of 3 to 10 years alongside an integrated 1-year grace period.

Prudent Leverage & Concentration Governance: The central bank enforces a disciplined capital structure, stipulating a clear equity contribution threshold of 30% (a 70:30 debt-equity ratio) and managing system exposure with a BDT 100 Crore single-borrower cap to ensure diversified capital access.

Strengthening Financial Sector Resilience: Access is strategically calibrated with financial soundness indicators. Restricting participation for private and foreign commercial institutions to entities maintaining a classified loan ratio below 10% (or 15% under central bank discretion) beautifully aligns sustainable capital allocation with high-quality balance-sheet management.

II. The Assurance Framework: Building Global Market Integrity
A defining feature of this facility is the central bank's objective alignment with globally recognized green building certification frameworks, including LEED (USGBC), EDGE (IFC), BEEER, and GreenARCH. By integrating these global metrics, the policy successfully elevates domestic industrial assets to international standards through a structured validation lifecycle:

Robust Pre-Disbursement Alignment: The facility encourages deep technical readiness, with forward-thinking enterprises utilizing formal pre-assessments to verify that architectural and engineering designs conform perfectly to international benchmarks prior to capital drawdown.

Continuous Compliance & Strategic Reporting: The structure treats green performance as an active, long-term asset value driver. This perfectly complements modern sustainability disclosure regimes like IFRS S1 and S2, where corporate entities verify that financed operations consistently deliver carbon footprint reductions, energy efficiency, and resource optimization.

Independent ESG Assurance as a Trust Enabler: Rigorous data verification and independent ESG assurance serve as vital tools to reinforce market confidence, validating performance metrics and ensuring seamless alignment with central bank audits throughout the investment lifecycle.

III. Strategic Outlook
Through SFD Circular No. 03/2026, Bangladesh Bank has provided an invaluable blueprint for institutional resilience in the face of shifting global climate realities. Capital readiness under this progressive framework now rewards an elite blend of corporate banking fluency and precise carbon accounting.

CEAN Global proudly operates at this intersection, providing institutional partners with the advanced ESG assurance frameworks and compliance pathways required to confidently unlock, optimize, and sustain these landmark green investments.

30/06/2026

𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 & 𝗦𝗗𝗚 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱
500+ 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 60 𝑆𝐷𝐺-𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑠ℎ.

In July 2025, Bangladesh hosted the Sustainability Summit 2025 alongside the 3rd SDG Brand Champion Awards, bringing together over 500 participants including global experts, business leaders, policymakers, and youth changemakers. The SDG Brand Champion Awards recognised 60 sustainable brand initiatives across 22 categories, highlighting how local brands are integrating SDG-aligned impact into their core strategies.

The twin events underscore a broader push for the private sector to embrace sustainability, not just through reporting but through products, campaigns, and partnerships that deliver measurable social and environmental outcomes. For companies, this signals rising expectations: ESG performance is increasingly about both credible disclosure and visible, SDG-linked action on the ground.

Source: Coverage of Sustainability Summit 2025 and SDG Brand Champion Awards in Bangladesh.