ESG Assurance

Organizations face growing demands for clear and transparent disclosure on their long-term ESG commitments from government and stakeholders. Investors, suppliers, customers, and employees all want to understand the purpose and values of the businesses they work with or for. This has seen a rapid increase in the focus on and reporting of non-financial metrics. Regulators and standard setters across the world have and continue to introduce mandatory reporting requirements too. From, TCFD to ISSB, SEC climate disclosures to CSRD, its clear that more ESG metrics will be required and formal assurance will be expected. It has also resulted in the use of a vast range of ESG targets and frameworks, which can vary by sector, size and complexity of a business.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) are working on the replacement to the current best-in-class assurance standards which are expected to provide more specificity for assurance on sustainability reporting (ISSA 5000). KPMG believes that investors and stakeholders will likely see ISSA 5000 as the gold standard against which to hold companies to account and we strongly support the IAASB as it develops a baseline for global sustainability assurance standards.

Our ESG assurance experts offer the following services:

KPMG Ready for Assurance service can help you determine whether your organization has the necessary preconditions for ESG assurance, to help assure ESG information in the future. These measurements need to be clear and specific enough, and whether the evidence is available and supports the criteria expected to be used to measure it.

KPMG Ready for Assurance service can help assess whether your business is ready for full ESG assurance: it is the first step in your ESG assurance journey. It is also a service that can be performed on new information that is added to your disclosures and as your ESG agenda and strategies mature.

We provide formal opinions over reported ESG metrics and disclosures, which can either be private or made public. The opinions are delivered in accordance with ISAE 3000 or ISEA 3410 to either a limited or reasonable level of assurance (depending on stakeholder needs). This is a service we can provide to audited entities and non-audit clients.

These provide an overview of ESG assurance and the current reporting landscape, including common reporting frameworks. Vitally, they highlight what you need to do to get ready for assurance.

A detailed report of factual findings presenting the results of specific testing procedures we have undertaken.