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Understanding International Standard on Sustainability Assurance 5000

External assurance plays a key role in enhancing trust and confidence in financial and non-financial reporting.

With the goal of enhancing the trust and confidence investors, regulators and other stakeholders have in sustainability information, the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board has developed a landmark, global sustainability assurance standard

The proposed International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA) 5000, General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements, will serve as a comprehensive, stand-alone standard suitable for any sustainability assurance engagements. It will apply to sustainability information reported across any sustainability topic and prepared under multiple frameworks, including the recently released IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards S1 and S2. The proposed standard is profession agnostic, supporting its use by both professional accountant and non-accountant assurance practitioners.

Stakeholders have until December 1 to provide feedback and insights. The final standard will be issued before the end of 2024.