Guiding sustainability

In March 2003, AccountAbility launched the AA1000 Assurance Standard (AA1000AS) as the world’s first sustainable assurance standard. It was developed to ensure the credibility and quality of organizations’ public reporting on social, environmental and economic performance as demanded by campaigners and the public and, increasingly, by investors and regulators.

The AA1000 assurance standard is applicable to businesses, non-profit organizations and government bodies. It can be used in conjunction with other assurance and reporting standards, notably the Global Reporting Initiative reporting guidelines and the International Federation of Accountant’s ISAE 3000.

The guidance note on the principles of materiality, completeness, and responsiveness as they relate to the AA1000AS was published in July 2006 to provide further information and clarification regarding the AA1000AS principles. 

The guidance note, developed through an international multi-stakeholder consultation process, will strengthen the consistency and credibility of sustainability reporting and assurance. It will also enhance and clarify the understanding of the principles for both assurance providers and reporting organizations. It will help to ensure that assured reports present a complete view of an organization’s understanding and response to its material sustainability issues. This will therefore help identify and clarify when reports are selective and present material out of context.

For further information on the AA1000AS or to download a copy of the standard and guidance note free of charge, visit www.accountability.org.uk