These are common questions in corporate responsibility and sustainability reporting. In the age of green wash, the sceptical public need to be convinced that the claims made by companies about their sustainability and social responsibility activities are authentic.

This is where assurance comes in. The professional accountancy body, ICAEW, has, as part of its Business Sustainability Programme, provided a guide to such assurance called Sustainability assurance - your choice.

The guide looks at the key issues for businesses when producing information on their social, economic and environmental performance (sustainability information) to respond to user needs and to meet regulatory requirements.

It outlines what is distinct about the assurance service you get from a professional accountant in public practice.

Using a series of questions and answers, the booklet covers issues such as report users, what an assurance service is, what it should achieve and what other services could help enhance business sustainability.

There is no single generally accepted framework for preparing a sustainability report but there are voluntary guidelines such as the Connected Reporting Framework, proposed by the Prince of Wales Accounting for Sustainability Project.

The guide is aimed at business owners and board members who choose to get assurance on their sustainability information in order to:

  • Challenge and confirm views expressed in the annual report as part of the narrative disclosure; or
  • Complement internal processes, such as internal audit or stakeholder engagement, which are designed to improve business sustainability and enhance the trust of external stakeholders; or enhance the credibility of information with those who use it to make economic and other decisions.

The ICEAW also provides an online e-learning programme designed to highlight issues and increase awareness of the business case for corporate responsibility. It consists of five modules. Modules one and two are free for all users. Find out more at www.icaew.com/bsp.

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