Investment in sustainability assurance is increasing as firms seek to improve the credibility of sustainability reports and provide greater confidence to their boards about management systems, performance data, and risk controls. This is according to an in-depth benchmark of global sustainability assurance providers, conducted by independent analyst firm Verdantix.

The study compares 13 providers on 48 criteria, including energy and environment expertise, knowledge of standards, and customer wins. The presence of the “Big Four” financial audit firms as market leaders, along with Bureau Veritas and DNV, demonstrates the financial materiality of sustainability risks. The Big Four auditors are considered to be KPMG, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), and Ernst & Young.

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