Increased credibility through external assurance
Increased credibility and transparency
Discharge of the supervisory board
Reliable basis for management decisions
Better rating results
Increase credibility with a Sustainability Report
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which publishes the most widely used international framework for sustainability reports, recommends external assurance. According to the GRI, the global trend of sustainability report assurance has increased, with half of published reports already undergoing an external audit - and the trend is rising.
Assurance of GRI reports, Global Compact, and ESRS report
In principle, the external assurance of sustainability reports is suitable for companies of any size and industry. It is particularly relevant for organizations that are in the eye of the public, such as listed companies, public organizations and companies that underlie specific legal requirements.
DQS Inc. – your licensed assurance provider
Level of Assurance
- Medium level of assurance: your information is checked for plausibility. The audit focuses on internal evidence and on the management level.
- High level of assurance: the evidence gathering process is more extensive here. The review is not limited to internal evidence and includes external sources. All levels of the organization are surveyed on a random basis.
What is the verification process?
First, you discuss your organization, your approach to sustainability reporting and the objectives of the assurance engagement. Based on these discussions, you will receive an individual quote tailored to the needs of your company or organization.
To identify potential for improvement at an early stage, DQS Inc. offers you the option to conduct a pre-assessment. During the completeness check, the sustainability report is compared with the selected criteria catalog (e.g. GRI standards). This is typically followed by an evaluation of the report's content.
After the audit, our auditors prepare a detailed report in which useful suggestions for improvement are made.
The timing of the pre-assessment depends on your requirements: both the draft report and an already published report can be audited.
The assurance audit consists of two parts: The document review and the audit. The duration of the assurance depends on the scope, the scope of the report, and the selected assurance type and level. During the final meeting, our auditors explain all findings to you, give you feedback, and plan further steps together.
After the assurance process is complete, we prepare an assurance statement that is published with the sustainability report.