The era of sustainability disclosure
This Deloitte (United States) Audit Committee Brief newsletter discusses the growing efforts around sustainability reporting and the audit committee's role in evaluating and overseeing such disclosures.
During the past few decades, the primary drivers of business value have shifted significantly. Many feel that traditional financial metrics may not effectively capture a company's long-term value creation potential, but rather serve as indicators of short-term performance. This shift in value drivers and a broader recognition of the importance of environmental, social, and governance performance have been accelerated by market forces demanding greater transparency from companies. The audit committee should understand how to promote confidence in the credibility and reliability of the sustainability information disclosed to the market. This confidence can be achieved through considering internal and external assurance for sustainability disclosures.