1、KPMG.Make the Difference.The journey continues:Navigating the road to readinessKPMG ESG Assurance Maturity Index 2024 KPMG I KPMG.Make the Difference.ForewordThe environmental,social and governance(ESG)agenda is rapidly moving forward,with new rules coming into force that oblige companies to report

2、on their ESG risks,opportunities,and performance.To make this reporting credible,disclosures will require independent third party assurance.Mike Shannon Global Head of ESG AssuranceKPMG InternationalLarry BradleyGlobal Head of AuditKPMG InternationalIt was against this backdrop that,last year,we pub

3、lished the inaugural KPMG ESG Assurance Maturity Index.The Index found that companies had a long way to go to prepare for ESG reporting and assurance.So,how are they doing now?Our second year of analysis shows that some progress has been made but nevertheless,many organizations are still in the earl

4、y stages of readiness.The time has come for a concerted focus on putting in place the necessary systems,processes and controls to gather the data required,and aim to ensure these are sufficiently robust to stand up to external assurance.In a real sense,the clock has started to tick.In the intervenin

5、g time since we published the inaugural Index last year,the EUs European Sustainability Reporting Standards(ESRS)have been finalized and published with the first sustainability reports due to appear in early 2025.The International Sustainability Standards Board(ISSB)has also published its standards,

6、and these are set to be implemented locally in jurisdictions around the world.Given the standards are so new,and in some cases still evolving,companies may find themselves on a steep learning curve and potentially face challenges in collecting and verifying their ESG data.As a result,it may be more