Developing an assurance standard for carbon emissions disclosures

A new assurance service on carbon emissions disclosures in Australia would provide an appropriate response by the auditing profession to the challenges posed by climate change. Recognising the difficulties in developing an assurance standard on broad sustainability information, this paper focuses on the case for developing a standard on the more specific issue of corporations’ carbon emissions disclosures. Credibility of disclosure of carbon emissions and any associated trading scheme would be strengthened by the implementation and enhancement of assurance standards and services.