Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) assurance

With ESG matters becoming the focus of boards and audit committees, investors need more detailed and verified ESG information. And while regulatory reporting requirements, such as Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), are rapidly increasing in scale and scope, reforms in auditing oblige audit committees to report ESG information in their Audit & Assurance Policy.

In this spotlight, the need for accurate, comparable and robust reporting of information, means ESG assurance is even more critical than ever – which is why our experts are on hand to help.

The scope for ESG assurance is ever-growing. With the upcoming integration of sustainability reviews in annual reporting, as well as public scrutiny over the Board’s Audit and Assurance Policy concerning ESG reporting, many companies will need to ensure the ESG information they provide is independently assured. Our deep matter subject expertise will help you and your stakeholders have confidence that you are disclosing correct and accurate information.

Reporting and Frameworks Assurance:

The quality of UK corporate reporting is also under scrutiny, with a need for a standardised and consistent measurement and disclosure of non-financial information. We provide assurance on ESG frameworks and ESG reporting, specialising in:

• ISAE 3000 assurance over companies’ ESG information included in, or referenced from, the Annual Report.
  
• ISAE 3000 assurance over whether companies’ have accurately implemented their specified ESG frameworks, including the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework.
  
• GAP analysis and benchmarking about ESG reporting including identifying gaps in disclosures, processes or controls.
  

Our team of experts will:

• Combine both significant auditing and assuring experience with a deep understanding of ESG matters to provide you and your stakeholders with high-quality assurance projects
• Perform gap analysis of current disclosures and corporate reporting
• Provide technical update training, including Board sessions, on climate change risks and other emerging issues, to help identify the impacts of ESG on the financial statements and corporate reporting
• Help you navigate the continuously evolving regulatory landscape concerning ESG reporting requirements and emerging best practice
  Help you understand the quality of the non-financial information in your annual reporting.

ESG Financing:

ESG financing, which includes green and social bonds, and sustainability-linked facilities, is set to become the mainstay of business finance. The measurement and verification of ESG factors will play a fundamental role in those financial transactions; therefore, assurance is regularly required, both pre and post issuance.

We provide assuring expertise and related services across the range of ESG financing, including green, social, sustainable and transition related financing across bonds, loans and facilities. Our expertise spans the following areas:

• Use of proceeds and impact reporting assurance
• Assurance related to the KPIs on sustainability-linked financing
• Agreed upon procedures (AUPs) relating to ESG financing

To find out more about how we can help you on your ESG journey, get in touch with our experts below.