Assurance can not only help to strengthen credibility with external audiences, but also for internal purposes, such as assuring managers, executives, and board members that they’re doing the right thing.
Sustainability reporting is a relatively new process, and it can be challenging to report consistent, reliable, and complete data as a routine, especially given the increasing number of disclosure requirements, organisations, and awards bodies. This is where assurance can help by making sure that reporting data is credible.
Integrating financial and non-financial information in reports poses new challenges, and is a major shift from traditional reporting inputs and value calculations.
Some global reporting standards and guidelines:
- Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
- Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol
- AccountAbiility
- Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
- Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI)
We can help you:
- identify the right disclosure frameworks to use and design them in line with your sustainability commitments
- make submissions to sustainability indices and interpret submission questionnaires
- identify ways to improve your sustainability ranking
- verify your reporting under best practices
- identify operational improvements
- incorporate compliance and opportunity analysis and strategies
- educate your teams on reporting frameworks, disclosure requirements, and internal audit to verify disclosures
- establish measurable sustainability objectives for financial, operational, and regulatory performance that align with your corporate strategy
- assess integrated reporting gaps using the International Integrated Reporting Council’s framework and develop a long-term plan to close any gaps
- assess the financial and non-financial capital your organisation depends on and the contribution to your total value
- obtain independent assurance for your sustainability report data based on the International Standard on Assurance Engagements 3000 (ISAE 3000) and for your regulatory performance based on CDP objectives and greenhouse gas regulations, and
- verify and certify your data under international social and environmental standards, such as those of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, and AccountAbility’s AA1000.
Case studies
- Sustainability assurance
- Strategy and reporting support
Sustainability assurance
Challenge: The client requested assurance on their 2014 CSV report, based on the ISAE 3000, the GRI’s G4 Guidelines, and the client’s internal sustainability reporting guidelines.
Solution: We arranged for local communities, societies, and NGOs to verify report data on rural and social development, biodiversity, and the environment.
Results: We provided assurance on the report and verified its GRI application level, which increased recognition, trust and credibility.
Strategy and reporting support
Challenge: The client asked us to develop a sustainability strategy and report following the GRi G4 sustainability report development project.
Solution: We reviewed the company’s current sustainability initiatives, interviewed stakeholders, helped the company to compile reporting information from its business units, helped them validate their sustainability direction and develop a preliminary strategy.
Results: We developed a five-year sustainability strategy plan and drafted the client’s 2013 sustainability report following the GRI’s G3.1 guidelines. This resulted in improved information management and increased value in reporting.
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