IAASB Comment Letter to the International Sustainability Standards Board

The IAASB submitted this comment letter to the International Sustainability Standards Board on its exposure drafts on sustainability- and climate-related disclosures. In its response, the IAASB noted the importance of reliable, high-quality, globally consistent sustainability reporting that investors and regulators are able to trust. The IAASB also highlighted the value of long-term cooperation between the IAASB and ISSB, as well as the International Ethics Board for Accountants, to strengthen the connectivity between sustainability reporting external sustainability assurance, and ethical standards—especially as standards become increasingly refined and enhanced. External assurance should play a crucial role in enabling organizations to demonstrate that the sustainability information reported is reliable and credible.

The IAASB has begun its journey to sustainability reporting assurance standards: at the June 2022 IAASB meeting, the IAASB committed to its next steps in developing a bespoke assurance standard for sustainability reporting. This journey to enhanced sustainability assurance standards was noted recently by the Financial Stability Board’s decision to include the IAASB’s work in its Climate Roadmap.