ABSTRACT
Sustainability report assurance is largely a voluntary practice. The main aim of the assurance is to enhance the credibility of the reported information and the accountability of reporting companies. However, the practice is also expected to help increase internal efficiency of organisations commissioning the assurance services. This chapter provides a discussion on the rationales and purposes of sustainability report assurance practice. Also, it discusses the assurance market, in which, unlike in the financial audit market, the providers of sustainability assurance are not limited to members of the accounting profession. The chapter also provides some observations on the dominance of the accounting profession and on the related assurance standards, as well as on current trends in the level and scope of assurance engagements. It finishes with issues and challenges relating to the assurance practice and provides outlooks for future research projects.
