ESG reporting and attestation engagements

FINANCIAL REPORTING INSIGHTS  | 

Authored by RSM US LLP


There are increasing calls for public companies to incorporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) information (e.g., diversity and inclusion metrics, the impact of climate change) in SEC submissions, such as proxy statements, annual reports and quarterly reports. Also, many market stakeholders are seeing the value of having some or all reported ESG information subject to external attestation by an independent auditor. The Center for Audit Quality and the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants recently released a roadmap that provides information regarding:

  • Where and how to report ESG information in SEC submissions (e.g., in the proxy statement, Form 8-K, Form 10-K)
  • Considerations for clients in determining whether to engage an independent accounting firm to perform an attestation engagement on the ESG information, and if so, the level of attestation service (i.e., whether a review or examination engagement will be performed) and where to include or reference the attestation report
  • Key sustainability reporting frameworks and standards
  • Sustainability attestation resources for practitioners

Key actions for establishing effective governance over ESG reporting