External assurance helps protect the interest of stakeholders and provides a level of comfort to key decision makers, allowing them to know that the information they are using for their business decisions is reliable and in full compliance with the relevant reporting frameworks. Utilizing our services sends a strong signal about your commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), ensuring the transparency and credibility of the information you make public.
An external assurance performed on the sustainability report of any organization can benefit them in many ways: proper and reliable financial/non-financial information as well as sound corporate governance are essential in order to experiment prosperity.
Audited reports prepared in compliance with sustainability standards provide more transparency to investors, suppliers and otehr stakeholders on a company’s operating position. There are situations when financial institutions or investors may see businesses that have not been subject to external assurance as having a higher default risk, hence restricting their access to credit, which may impede business expansion.
We bring a unique approach by providing organizations with the knowledge and credibility they need.
ISOS is a Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Certified Training partner and a CDP Silver Consultancy Partner in the US. With such recognition, comes great responsibility! We have spent the last 6 years singularly focused on promoting transparency and accountability, advising and educating organizations on the latest developments in sustainability reporting. We benefit from unrivalled knowledge and broad experience working with organizations across all industries while our team of subject matter experts is continually spearheading developments in the sustainability reporting industry.
We provide assurance against the Global Reporting Initiative’s principles and the AA1000 Assurance Standard 2008 (AA1000 AS 2008), in conjunction with methods for identifying strengths, weaknesses and discrepancies of the reported content and supporting systems.
The scope of the assurance can be varied by either verifying all elements of a report or specific metrics as defined by the interested party.
ISOS typically recommends a two-stage review process for conducting External Assurance.
We will evaluate the adherence of the report to the Quality and Content Principles as defined by the GRI Framework and assess your current sustainability reporting processes through:
Our assurance team will then assess the report’s accuracy and fulfillment of our specific sustainability criteria through our proprietary Credibility Check and Sustainable Action Balance.
The ISOS full assurance assessment will not only increase the credibility of your information, but provide suggestions on how to enhance the quality of future reports.
The outcomes of our 3rd party verification will consist in the External Assurance Statement to be submitted to GRI for level recognition and attached as an Appendix to your sustainability report, along with a comprehensive report highlighting areas that could benefit from further improvement and our prescription for success for the upcoming reporting cycles.
Final assessments will also be crafted into an Individual Press Release for distribution throughout media, stakeholders and socially responsible investor groups in order to build awareness around the companys’s achievements.
