Reasonable Assurance
What is Reasonable Assurance?
A high but not absolute level of assurance that the subject matter is free from material misstatement, the standard for financial and compliance audits.
Terms that appear alongside reasonable assurance
Each of these is named in at least one of the same controls as reasonable assurance. The number is how many controls name both.
- audit 4 shared controls
- policy 3 shared controls
- data quality 3 shared controls
- attestation 2 shared controls
- benchmarking 2 shared controls
- compliance 2 shared controls
Frameworks that govern reasonable assurance
What the standards actually require on reasonable assurance
Requirements naming reasonable assurance across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.
The risk management framework must provide reasonable assurance that each material risk to business operations is being prudently and soundly managed, having regard to the size, business mix and complexity of those operations.
SPS220-P15 · Reasonable Assurance of Prudent and Sound Management →GHG Protocol data quality + verification + disclosure. DATA QUALITY: 5 dimensions per GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard - (1) TECHNOLOGY representativeness; (2) TEMPORAL representativeness; (3) GEOGRAPHICAL representativeness; (4) COMPLETENESS;
GHG-DataQuality-Verification-Disclosure · Data Quality, Uncertainty, External Verification and Public Disclosure →GRI Standards Foundation + modular system + accordance. GRI 1: FOUNDATION 2021 establishes the foundational concepts + reporting principles + accordance system underlying all GRI reporting.
GRI-Foundation-Modular-Accordance · GRI Standards Foundation, Modular System, GRI 1 Reporting Principles and Accordance Statement →Per SEC Climate Rule: attestation. Requirements include (a) attestation of GHG emissions disclosure at limited + then reasonable assurance level + (b) qualified attestation provider + (c) maintain attestation documentation + (d) integrate with broader assuranc...
SECCLIM-5 · Attestation and Assurance →Issuers must devise and maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances.
15 U.S.C. § 78m(b)(2)(B) · Internal Accounting Controls →Sustainability reporting must be subject to assurance, beginning with limited assurance and moving towards reasonable assurance once standards are adopted; the assurance is provided by a statutory auditor or an independent assurance services provider.
CSRD-ASSURANCE · Assurance over the sustainability statement →Questions people ask about reasonable assurance
What is Reasonable Assurance?
Why is Reasonable Assurance important for compliance?
Which compliance frameworks address Reasonable Assurance?
Where can I learn more about Reasonable Assurance?
See how Reasonable Assurance applies across compliance frameworks
Our platform maps 686 frameworks with 311K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.