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ACCA Strategic Professional · Advanced Audit and Assurance (International) · The assurance of sustainability

Zephyr plc asks Marlow & Co to provide assurance on its sustainability report. The firm will apply ISSA 5000 and expects to give a conclusion expressed in the form 'nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe the information is materially misstated'. Which level of assurance is being provided?

This is limited assurance. A conclusion stating that nothing has come to the practitioner's attention indicating material misstatement is the negative form used for limited assurance, whereas reasonable assurance is expressed in a positive form. Sustainability information can be subject to assurance, so no assurance is not the case.

  1. ALimited assurance, with a negative form of conclusionCorrect
  2. BReasonable assurance, with a positive form of conclusion
  3. CReasonable assurance, with a negative form of conclusion
  4. DNo assurance, because the report is not financial information

Explanation

A conclusion worded as 'nothing has come to our attention' is the negative form used for limited assurance. Reasonable assurance is expressed positively, for example that the information is prepared in all material respects in accordance with the criteria. Sustainability information can be assured, so option D is wrong.

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