ESG Assurance

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures are now standard for many organizations as public awareness grows around an expanse of principles and priorities.

Stakeholders—including investors, lenders, customers, and employees—value transparency, accuracy, and consistency of ESG issues and related risks at levels equal to a company’s financial reporting. Leading companies aggressively greening their supply chains also raise the bar for thousands of businesses that sell through or provide services to their retail channels.

Validate the reliability of your ESG reporting to your key stakeholders with third-party assurance from our professionals.

Benefits of ESG Verifications

ESG reporting assurance can help your business:

• Develop ESG standards and processes. Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and establish data collection and control systems to support your business strategy and reporting. 
• Gain community and marketplace acceptance and attract and retain top employees. Stakeholders will trust reported metrics and disclosures knowing they’re subject to independent external assurance, enhancing your brand and business reputation.
• Meet external and supply chain reporting requirements. Satisfy the reporting conditions of major customers, providing independent assurance on reports where required.

Focus Areas

ESG programs and metrics can vary by industry, location, and other factors. Our assurance services span a range of prominent areas, including:

• Sourced ingredients, materials, and commodities
• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Supply chain process and documentation
• Microlending
• Human resources
• Equitable financial and economic programs
• Corporate governance
• Green Bonds

How the Process Works

ESG assurance engagements are generally performed under attestation standards to form and express an opinion or conclusion on reported data in accordance with the reporting criteria.

Assurance levels depend on what you determine to be appropriate based on the needs of the company and intended users of the reported data. Engagements are typically performed as either:

• Examinations. Provide a high level of assurance, similar to financial statement audits.
• Reviews. Provide limited assurance and generally focus on management inquiry and analytical procedures.

ESG assurance engagements are tailored specifically to your reported KPIs, with our professionals guiding your management team through the entire process.

Examinations include the following steps.

Agreed-Upon Procedures Engagements

Agreed-upon procedures engagements (AUPs) are another option for companies seeking an additional look at their reported data by an independent third party.

AUP engagements don’t provide assurance. Instead, we perform specific procedures developed by your management team and summarize the results in an AUP report.

 AUPs can be an option for companies just starting to develop their programs and external reporting.

Expansive ESG Expertise

Immersed in 30+ industries, our professionals appreciate the nuances of each and customize solutions to meet the ESG needs and challenges present in your field.

Unbound from big-firm conventions, we empower your business to stay ahead of change and plan for what’s next with forward-looking perspectives.

Our clients aren’t the only industry leaders who look to us for guidance. Our professionals advise on ESG topics as members, chairs, spotlight speakers, and more for influential organizations and events such as the:

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ (AICPA) Assurance Services Executive Committee (ASEC) Sustainability Task Force
• Auditing Standards Board Sustainability Task Force
• Society for Corporate Governance
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

Social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and inclusion and diversity are also core to Moss Adams values and business practices—and drive how we engage our clients, people, and the communities in which we live and work.