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Amanda Sonnerfeldt. Photo

Amanda Sonnerfeldt

Senior lecturer, Assistant head Accounting and Corporate Finance, Department of Business Administration

Amanda Sonnerfeldt. Photo

The Challenges of Assurance on Non-financial Reporting

Author

  • Amanda Sonnerfeldt
  • Caroline Aggestam Pontoppidan

Summary, in English

The purpose of this paper is to enhance our understanding of the notions and conceptual foundations of assurance in the standard setting arena. This will facilitate an informed discussion of the challenges and the role of assurance within an increasingly complex and fragmented corporate reporting regulatory landscape. The study draws on relevant literature on sustainability assurance and an analysis of how the assurance concept has been framed by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) through the construction of standards. The analysis highlights that the fragility of the conceptual foundations of assurance, broad-based nature of standards and diversity in practice contribute to the persistent challenges of sustainability assurance. This paper makes an important contribution to the discussions and contemporary debates on the regulation of and through assurance as well as the complex newer concept of integrated assurance. It further contributes to a more informed policy discussion as to how it can(not) strengthen the role of non-financial reporting as an agent of change to encourage more sustainable companies.

Department/s

  • Accounting and Corporate Finance

Publishing year

2020-07

Language

English

Publication/Series

Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium

Volume

10

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

De Gruyter

Topic

  • Business Administration

Keywords

  • Sustainability
  • Assurance
  • Assurance standards
  • Financial reporting
  • ISAE 3000

Status

Published

Project

  • ‘Standards for assurance in a globalizing world’ funded by Ragnar Söderbergs Stiftelse completed 30/4/2017

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2152-2820