IESBA's Sustainability Reference Group* (SRG) has been established to support the work of its Sustainability Task Force. 

Objectives of the SRG

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) today announced that a Sustainability Reference Group (SRG) has been established to support the work of its Sustainability Task Force. 

The SRG members have been selected based on a series of criteria, including their background, experience or expertise in sustainability reporting or assurance, stakeholder groups, and geographical location. The members will act as a “sounding board” to the Sustainability Task Force, providing insights, expertise, or advice relating to the development of global ethics and independence standards for sustainability reporting and assurance. 

The SRG will be chaired by Mr. Channa Wijesinghe, IESBA Member and Sustainability Task Force Member. The SRG Members are: 

• Kenneth Amaeshi, European University Institute, Africa
• Antonio Astone, DNV, Europe 
• Michael Bray, Deakin University, Oceania 
• Charlotte Drain, Deloitte LLP, Europe 
• Dongsoo Kim, AccountAbility, Asia 
• Kristian Koktvedgaard, Confederation of Danish Industry and EFRAG Sustainability Reporting Board Member, Europe
• Olga Rivas, Independent International Organisation for Certification, Global 
• Samantha Ross, AssuranceMark, North America 
• Michael Tang, SGX Group, Asia 

To learn more about IESBA’s work on sustainability, please refer to our focus page. 

3:00 PM - 4:30 PM CEST | 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM EDT 

The IAASB is excited to announce that it has approved by unanimous vote the draft International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA) 5000, General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements, for public consultation. The consultation will be open by early August until early December 2023.

With the increasing global demand for corporate reporting and disclosure on sustainability, ESG (environmental, sustainability, and governance), and climate-related information, we are proud to have risen to the occasion by developing this new proposed standard. This proposed standard aims to enhance confidence in sustainability reporting, responds to IOSCO recommendations, and complements the work of other standard setters, including the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants, EFRAG, International Sustainability Standards Board and IFRS Foundation, Global Reporting Initiative, and others.

Once finalized, ISSA 5000 will serve as a comprehensive, stand-alone standard suitable for limited and reasonable sustainability assurance engagements. It will apply to sustainability information reported across any sustainability topic and prepared under multiple frameworks. Moreover, the standard will be profession-agnostic, enabling its use by professional accountants and other professionals performing sustainability assurance engagements.

As the IAASB works toward the release of the draft standard in the coming weeks, it is also in the process of finalizing extensive outreach plans. These plans include a series of four roundtable discussions, as well as virtual, regional, and national events held in partnership with other organizations throughout the consultation period. To stay updated on the latest information and upcoming events, please follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn and consider registering or subscribing to our mailing list via the IAASB website.