Workshop on Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") – Data Governance and Assurance (WSHP23042501)

Businesses are facing more restrictions on the materials they use, the products they produce, and the safety of their facilities as sustainability becomes increasingly important. Both voluntary and involuntary restrictions are being imposed by a variety of different industry initiatives as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations, many of which overlap and each with its own reporting requirements. Business compliance and assurance functions face an increasing number of demands due to the need to verify adherence to these growing standards and restrictions.

At this stage of global efforts to address climate change, assurance services are particularly important, as cap-and-trade systems for carbon proliferate and the need to verify carbon credits that can be traded internationally increases.

Besides being necessary to ensure compliance, assurance can play a pivotal role in dispelling scepticism arising from some unfounded promotions of products as "green" and some sustainability reports in which elaborate descriptions of green activities mask de facto continuations of business as usual. Reliable assurances of claims that a particular product exacts less of a toll on resources and other aspects of sustainability can help to restore confidence in and support for bona fide sustainable business efforts.

This workshop has been created to assist members of HKICPA to strengthen their technical knowledge of ESG Data Governance and Assurance.

In this workshop, the speakers will cover:
• Market overview on ESG Data
  – Types of ESG data, and why it matters
  – ESG data governance and internal controls
  – Integration of ESG and financial reporting
 
• ESG Data Assurance
  – ESG assurance overview (type, scope and market practices)
  – Values of ESG data assurance
  – Steps to ESG assurance