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Navigating the reporting landscape

“With a clear global trend towards mandatory sustainability reporting, the expectations of finance professionals are changing. A4S and its ABN Network have produced guidance to help accountants navigate the rapidly changing corporate reporting landscape, and make sustainable business, business as usual.” Jessica Fries, Executive Chairman, A4S Historically, financial terms have always been the measurement for business

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Public sector lags behind private sector on climate reporting

More than half (56%) of public sector organisations do not currently report on their climate impact as revealed by a recent international survey of public sector professionals by CIPFA, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. This research sets out a baseline from which the evolution of sustainability reporting in the public sector may

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GRI, EFRAG, Collaborate on Development of EU Sustainability Reporting Standards

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) announced a new cooperation agreement for the development of EU sustainability reporting standards and supporting convergence with global standards. The EU and GRI are both committed to standards that are multi-stakeholder inclusive and address the impacts organizations have on the environment, society

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IOSCO elaborates on its vision and expectations for the IFRS Foundation’s work towards a global baseline of investor-focussed sustainability standards to improve the global consistency, comparability and reliability of sustainability reporting

The Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) has yesterday published a report on issuers’ sustainability-related disclosures. The report, developed by IOSCO’s Sustainable Finance Taskforce (STF), reiterates the urgent need to improve the consistency, comparability and reliability of sustainability reporting for investors. Over the year since the STF was established, global momentum has

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API Unveils New Climate Reporting Template For Natural Gas And Oil Industry

 Following the release of the industry’s Climate Action Framework this spring, the American Petroleum Institute (API) last week unveiled the next step in its efforts to accelerate climate solutions – a new template for individual companies in the natural gas and oil industry to more consistently report and track greenhouse gas (GHG) indicators. While many companies have reported GHG

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New Study Reveals Lack of Standardization in Sustainability Assurance

IFAC, AICPA & CIMA Global Benchmarking Study Highlights Significant Differences Across Jurisdictions Global practices for sustainability assurance—including the prevalence of assurance, level of assurance, and standard and practitioner used—varies widely by jurisdiction, according to a new study from the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the AICPA & CIMA (representing the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants).

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EFRAG public consultation Due Process Procedures on EU Sustainability Reporting Standard Setting

EFRAG Secretariat seeks comments from stakeholders on its Public Consultation Paper: EFRAG Due Process Procedures on EU Sustainability Reporting Standard-S​etting. Comments are welcome by 15 September 2021. ​ ​The European Commission’s proposal for a Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) envisages the adoption of EU sustainability reporting standards (ESRS). In this context, EFRAG is requested to provide Technical

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IIRC and SASB form the Value Reporting Foundation, providing comprehensive suite of tools to assess, manage and communicate value

The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) yesterday officially announce their merger to form the Value Reporting Foundation. The Value Reporting Foundation supports business and investor decision-making with three key resources: Integrated Thinking Principles, Integrated Reporting Framework and SASB Standards. These tools help businesses and investors develop a shared

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Swiss watchdog FINMA requires banks, insurers to disclose climate risks

Large Swiss banks and insurance companies will have to provide qualitative and quantitative information about risks they face from climate change, Swiss financial watchdog FINMA said on Monday as it released an amended publication on disclosure. FINMA’s updated circular on the new obligations, to take effect on July 1, follows similar moves by the European Central Bank,

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Well-embedded integrated thinking can make organisations more resilient in the face of challenges, like those that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The integrated reporting process can kick-start integrated thinking, by bringing people from across the organisation together through the reporting cycle. At the same time, for organisations to obtain the full benefits, the reports need to communicate this to investors and other external stakeholders. This report looks at three key ways in which integrated thinking is