The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) and International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) welcome today's announcement from the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) of its support and encouragement for the IAASB’s and IESBA’s work on developing standards relating to assurance of sustainability-related information. The IAASB and IESBA acknowledge that stakeholders areincreasingly seeking assurance of sustainability-related information and that it is important to respond to market demands with robust standards applicable to all sustainability assurance providers.

IAASB Chair Tom Seidenstein said: “There is a clear need for ongoing dialogue and collaboration to ensure sustainability reporting, assurance, and regulation develop in a cohesive manner to provide decision-useful information to stakeholders. We are pleased to have IOSCO’s support for our ongoing work to enhance sustainability assurance standards and look forward to continuing our strong, fruitful relationship with IOSCO and others.”

IESBA Chair Gabriela Figueiredo Dias said: “Ethics standards, including independence requirements, are foundational to public trust in the assurance of sustainability-related information. It is crucial and in the public interest that all assurance providers, whether or not they are from the accountancy profession, adhere to the same high bar of ethical behavior and independence when engaged in such assurance work. We have given high priority to bringing to market fit-for-purpose ethics and independence standards in this area and look forward to close coordination with IOSCO and IAASB on this journey.”

The IAASB meets this week to continue discussions and vote on its sustainability assurance project proposal to develop an overarching standard for assurance engagements on sustainability. The standard will provide a global baseline for all professional assurance providers providing assurance on any sustainability information being reported, if the preconditions necessary for effective assurance are met.

The IESBA meets this week to consider possible approaches to standard setting in relation to sustainability assurance and sustainability reporting, recognizing that professional accountants in business play a “first line of defense” role in preparing and presenting trustworthy sustainability information. The IESBA will also consider the applicability of its standards to assurance providers outside of the accountancy profession. The IESBA anticipates approving a project plan by December 2022.

The IAASB and IESBA will continue to closely collaborate with IOSCO and other regulatory and standard-setting bodies to inform the development of robust standards that foster independent, high-quality engagements and globally consistent practices.

About the IAASB
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board develops auditing and assurance standards and guidance for use by all professional accountants under a shared standard-setting process involving the Public Interest Oversight Board, which oversees the activities of the IAASB, and the IAASB Consultative Advisory Group, which provides public interest input into the development of the standards and guidance. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IAASB are facilitated by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please go to permissions or contact permissions@ifac.org.

About the IESBA
The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) is an independent global standard-setting board. The IESBA serves the public interest by setting ethics standards, including auditor independence requirements, which seek to raise the bar for ethical conduct and practice for all professional accountants through a robust, globally operable International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards).

The IESBA believes a single set of high-quality ethics standards enhances the quality and consistency of services provided by professional accountants, thus contributing to public trust and confidence in the accountancy profession. The IESBA sets its standards in the public interest with advice from the IESBA Consultative Advisory Group (CAG) and under the oversight of the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB).

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has issued a non-authoritative publication to address some of the common questions related to reporting going concern matters in the auditor’s report. Specifically, the publication focuses on the use of and interrelationship of the Material Uncertainty Related to Going Concern and Key Audit Matters sections, and the Emphasis of Matter paragraphs, in an auditor’s report prepared in accordance with the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs).

This publication does not amend or override the International Standards on Auditing, the texts of which alone are authoritative. Reading the publication is not a substitute for reading the ISAs.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has submitted a response to the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) 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 reliability and quality of sustainability reporting and supporting investors’ and regulators’ trust in the sustainability information hinge on the effectiveness of the external reporting supply chain,” noted IAASB Chair Tom Seidenstein. “As in financial reporting, external assurance has a key role in contributing to reporting reliability and investor confidence. This is why the IAASB’s feedback focuses on the ability of practitioners to obtain assurance on an entity’s sustainability reporting prepared in accordance with the ISSB draft standards, and why we’re committed to collaborating with and supporting the ISSB.”

The IAASB highlighted the value of long-term cooperation between the IAASB and ISSB, as well as the International Ethics Standards 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.

About the IAASB
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board develops auditing and assurance standards and guidance for use by all professional accountants under a shared standard-setting process involving the Public Interest Oversight Board, which oversees the activities of the IAASB, and the IAASB Consultative Advisory Group, which provides public interest input into the development of the standards and guidance. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IAASB are facilitated by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please go to permissions or contact permissions@ifac.org.

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 International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) today released its First-Time Implementation Guide for ISA 315 (Revised 2019), Identifying and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement. The guide focuses on the more substantial changes that were made to International Standard on Auditing (ISA) 315 (Revised 2019) and will help stakeholders understand and apply the revised standard as intended.

ISA 315 (Revised 2019) is effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after December 15, 2021. This publication does not amend or override ISA 315 (Revised 2019), the text of which alone is authoritative. Reading this publication is not a substitute for reading the standard.

This guide focuses on the more substantial changes that were made to International Standard on Auditing 315 (Revised 2019) and will help stakeholders understand and apply the revised standard as intended. ISA 315 (Revised 2019) is effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after December 15, 2021.

This publication does not amend or override ISA 315 (Revised 2019), the text of which alone is authoritative. Reading this publication is not a substitute for reading the standard.

This non-authoritative Frequently Asked Questions publication addresses some of the common questions related to reporting going concern matters in the auditor’s report. Specifically, the publication focuses on the use of and interrelationship of the Material Uncertainty Related to Going Concern and Key Audit Matters sections, and the Emphasis of Matter paragraphs, in an auditor’s report prepared in accordance with the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs).

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) today published its Public Report detailing its support for the public interest for the year ended December 31, 2021. During this 12-month period, the IAASB approved the final revised standard on group audits, agreed its Work Plan for 2022-2023 that included a dedicated workstream on enhanced sustainability assurance standards, and developed and implemented its Framework for Activities, among other actions.

The year 2021 also included the transformational milestone of launching IAASB’s first fully digital handbook, in collaboration with the International Federation of Accountants. The new online platform, e-International Standards (eIS), highlights the IAASB’s commitment to improving the usability of, and access to, its standards by harnessing technology.

The IAASB Public Report details progress to support the public interest for the year ended December 31, 2021. It explains how the IAASB accelerated efforts in 2021 to serve the public interest in audit and assurance. In doing so, the IAASB focused on topics that have generated the greatest public interest attention, including fraud, going concern, audit evidence, and assurance on sustainability reporting.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) today released proposed narrow scope amendments to International Standard on Auditing 700 (Revised), Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements and ISA 260 (Revised), Communication with Those Charged with Governance. The proposed amendments will help operationalize recently approved changes to the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants’ (IESBA) International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) related to listed and public interest entities. The changes to the IESBA Code require firms to publicly disclose when the independence requirements for public interest entities have been applied in an audit of financial statements.

“There are heightened expectations about auditor independence for audits of public interest entities. The recent changes to the IESBA Code, reinforced through the IAASB’s proposed changes to the ISAs, will enhance transparency to the public about application of independence requirements for audits of financial statements of public interest entities,” said IAASB Chair Tom Seidenstein. “This is a further sign of enhanced IAASB-IESBA coordination, a strategic commitment of both boards in our joint effort to better serve the public interest.”

This Exposure Draft is part of a broader IAASB project that responds to recent revisions to the IESBA Code related to listed and public interest entities, which are undertaken as two tracks—this is Track 1. Other narrow-scope amendments that may be considered in Track 2, on a separate timeline and with a later effective date, include:

• Aligning to the greatest extent possible the definitions and key concepts underlying the definitions in the International Standards on Quality Management (ISQMs) and International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) related to listed and public interest entities to IESBA’s definitions and key concepts in the revisions to the IESBA Code; and
• Considering the applicability of existing differential requirements for listed entities in the ISQMs and ISAs, and whether these need to be amended in light of IESBA’s revisions that address the definitions of “publicly traded entity” and public interest entities.  

How to Comment
The IAASB invites all stakeholders to comment on the Exposure Draft via the IAASB website. Comments are requested by October 4, 2022. As part of this public consultation, the IESBA invites stakeholders to comment on aspects of the Exposure Draft for its consideration of the need for any further action.

About the IAASB
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board develops auditing and assurance standards and guidance for use by all professional accountants under a shared standard-setting process involving the Public Interest Oversight Board, which oversees the activities of the IAASB, and the IAASB Consultative Advisory Group, which provides public interest input into the development of the standards and guidance. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IAASB are facilitated by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please go to permissions or contact permissions@ifac.org.