Independent assurance
A review performed by a party sufficiently separate from the activity being assessed.
Example
An assurance statement can explain the criteria, scope and level of confidence provided.
The catch
Independence and competence need evidence, and assurance has limits.
Related terms
Audit trail, Calibration, Carbon neutral, Climate positive, Conflict of interest, Contribution claim
In more depth
Independent assurance, explained.
Independent assurance comes in different strengths, and the wording of the conclusion shows which one you are reading. Limited assurance ends with a negative statement, typically that nothing came to the practitioner's attention to suggest the information is materially misstated. Reasonable assurance gives a positive opinion that the information is fairly presented, and it requires far more testing. In carbon markets the equivalent check is usually called verification.
EU sustainability reports under the CSRD start at the limited level. The scope line matters as much as the conclusion. An assurer may have examined one emissions figure while the rest of the report went unchecked, and a page that says independently assured may mean exactly that much. Check the subject matter and the materiality threshold, and note any disclosed relationships that could create a conflict of interest.