IRBA: Staff Audit Practice Alert 12 – New FAQs on Sustainability Assurance Engagements

---

IRBA: Staff Audit Practice Alert 12 – New FAQs on Sustainability Assurance Engagements

• 04 March 2026
• Sustainability Reporting
• South African Accounting Academy

Summary:
Subsequent to the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA) Board’s adoption of the International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA) 5000, General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements, the regulator has issued Staff Assurance Practice Alert 12: New Frequently Asked Questions on Sustainability Assurance Engagements.

Article:
The document is aimed at supporting the local profession in navigating this transition, and is in response to the rapid evolution of the sustainability landscape. It should be noted that this Alert replaces previous guidance (Staff Audit Practice Alert 8 issued in October 2022) and serves as a resource for registered auditors (RAs) and other practitioners. 

The Alert provides clarity on the following critical areas: 

• Regulatory Landscape: Current voluntary vs international mandatory requirements (e.g. the European Union Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive). 
• Professional Requirements: Guidance on the “profession-agnostic” nature of ISSA 5000 and the specific requirements for quality management and ethics.
• Reporting Frameworks: The suitability of various criteria, including IFRS S1 and S2, the Global Reporting Initiative and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Disclosure Guidance. 
• Assurance Specifics: Distinctions between limited and reasonable assurance, and the role of RAs in signing reasonable assurance reports in South Africa.

Contents:

• Introduction 
• Definitions and Abbreviations 
• Section 1: Assurance Requirements and Applicable Standards 
• Section 2: Sustainability Subject Matters and Financial Statements 
• Section 3: Reporting Criteria 
• Section 4: Preparers – How to Ensure Readiness for Assurance 
• Section 5: Specialised Subject Matter: Sustainable Bonds

Click here to download the 23-page Staff Audit Practice Alert:

https://www.irba.co.za/upload/Staff%20Practice%20Alert%2012%20-%20New%20FAQ%20-%20Sustainability%20Assurance%20Engagements.pdf 

Relevance to Auditors, Independent Reviewers & Accountants:

• This IRBA staff audit practice alert applies to all registered auditors
• As an auditor and independent reviewer, you need to consider all publications by IRBA (as the regulating body) for guidance on relevant topics.
• Assurance practitioners should have access to a summary of key references, where to source guidance and matters to consider with respect to sustainability assurance engagements.
• As an auditor and independent reviewer, you need to comply with International Standards on Auditing and other Assurance Services (like ISSA 5000), and thus you need knowledge of newly revised standards that are approved as well as when they become effective.
• Failure to adhere to ISAs and ISSA may be interpreted as negligence and you could be held liable.
• Auditors, Independent Reviewers and Accountants should be aware of the latest standards that have been approved by standard-setting boards like the IAASB, when these are published, and when these standards are adopted by IRBA and become effective in South Africa.

0 COMMENTS

LEAVE A COMMENT