Article Series: Sustainability Assurance: How assurers overcome barriers to adoption of non-financial information assurance

The disclosure of non-financial information in the form of sustainability reports and integrated reports is now a globally established practice. Most jurisdictions across the world encourage, either through stock exchange listing requirements or through legislation, the need for companies to provide information on their non-financial performance. However, these disclosures are often criticised for failing to offer a credible account of the reporter’s sustainability performance. To address this criticism many reporters voluntarily secure third-party assurance over their disclosures.

The ADGM Academy Research Centre is pleased to publish a series of articles by Associate Professor Muhammad Bilal Farooq on the key issues related to the assurance of non-financial reports, such as sustainability reports and integrated reports, also referred to as sustainability assurance. This second article examines some of the tactic’s assurers use to overcome barriers to stimulate the demand for external assurance of non-financial information. These tactics are organised into those undertaken before, during and after the assurance engagement itself.

Author:

Muhammad Bilal Farooq, Associate Professor, Department of Accounting & Finance
College of Business & Economics, United Arab Emirates University