By Simon Jessop and Virginia Furness
LONDON (Reuters) - International auditors have been given new guidance on what to check when assessing firms' environmental, social and governance claims - and how - as part of efforts to increase rigour and consistency, the chair of the industry's global ethics watchdog told Reuters.
The move by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) comes as more companies are pushed to disclose data as part of efforts to fight climate change.
While global reporting standards and separate ones for the European Union have been released, the guidelines and rules for auditors are crucial to help ensure trust in the information, IESBA Chair Gabriela Figueiredo Dias said.