This Basis for Conclusions pertains to the Using the Work of an External Expert Final Pronouncement, which provides an ethical framework to guide professional accountants or sustainability assurance practitioners, as applicable, in evaluating whether an external expert has the necessary competence, capabilities and objectivity in order to use that expert’s work for the intended purposes. The standard also include provisions to aid in applying the Code’s conceptual framework when using the work of an external expert.

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants® (IESBA®) has revised its Code of Ethics to include specific, fit-for-purpose ethics provisions for preparers of sustainability disclosures in the public interest. Learn more about these changes in this high-level summary.

This summary provides a technical overview of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants' (IESBA) pronouncement Using the Work of An External Expert.

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) welcomes the Public Interest Oversight Board’s (PIOB) important decision to certify its Global Ethics Sustainability Standards and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) Statement of Support calling on its members to apply or be informed by the new framework. 

The Global Ethics Sustainability Standards include the International Ethics Standards for Sustainability Assurance (including International Independence Standards) (IESSA) and the revisions to the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) (the Code) related to sustainability reporting and to the use of the work of an external expert.

Reacting to the PIOB’s Certification and IOSCO’s Statement of Support, Gabriela Figueiredo Dias, Chair of IESBA said:

“The certification of IESBA’s new ethics standards framework for Sustainability and Experts, along with IOSCO's call for its members to adopt or be informed by the framework, marks a significant step to cement ethics as the foundation of trust and accountability in sustainability reporting and assurance. The global sustainability standards infrastructure is now complete, with the ethics piece providing foundational instruments to underpin transparent, relevant and trustworthy sustainability information. Looking forward to the joint launch with IAASB of the new ethics and assurance standards. Join us on 27 January.”

These landmark new standards provide a robust ethical framework for reporting and assuring sustainability-related information that promotes high quality, reliable information for decision-making by investors, lenders, customers, suppliers, government, regulators and other stakeholders.  

The IESSA and related revisions to the Code, including regarding using the work of an external expert, address critical risks to the integrity, quality and effectiveness of sustainability reporting and assurance such as bias, conflicts of interest, pressure to act unethically, fraud including greenwashing, non-compliance with laws and regulations, and threats to the independence of the assurance practitioners.

The final standards can be found on the IESBA’s website https://www.ethicsboard.org/standards-pronouncements.

The official launch of the new standards will take place on January 27, 2025, jointly with the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board’s (IAASB) International Standard on Sustainability Assurance 5000 (ISSA 5000). After robust and close coordination, the IESBA and IAASB developed comprehensive, interoperable global standards for assurance, ethics, and independence for sustainability assurance engagements.           

The FCGWG Final Report highlights the critical role of ethical culture and governance in addressing issues of unethical behavior within accounting firms. Through extensive outreach and research conducted in 2024, the FCGWG identified key drivers of an ethical firm culture, including ethical leadership, transparent accountability mechanisms, and governance frameworks that embed ethical values across all service lines.

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) took a major leap forward at its December 2024 meeting, approving two sets of standards that will underpin public trust in sustainability reporting and assurance:

• The International Ethics Standards for Sustainability Assurance (IESSA) and related revisions to the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) (the Code), setting a global benchmark for ethical behavior and independence in sustainability reporting and assurance.
• Revisions to the Code on the Using the Work of an External Expert, establishing an ethical framework for evaluating the competence, capabilities and objectivity of external experts used by professional accountants and sustainability assurance practitioners.

The Board also approved a project plan to develop a new standard on accounting firm culture and governance, focusing, among other matters, on ethical leadership and accountability within accounting firms.

The Board marked the departure of two esteemed members, Laurie Endsley, IESBA Vice Chair, and Andy Mintzer. Their dedicated service and contributions have helped significantly shape the IESBA’s work.

Recordings of this week’s meetings will soon be available on the IESBA YouTube channel. Stay tuned for updates as IESBA prepares for the global release of the new sustainability-related standards in January 2025.

For more information, visit ethicsboard.org.

About IESBA

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) is an independent global standard-setting board. The IESBA’s mission is to serve the public interest by setting high-quality, international ethics (including independence) standards as a cornerstone to ethical behavior in business and organizations, and to public trust in financial and non-financial information that is fundamental to the proper functioning and sustainability of organizations, financial markets and economies worldwide.

Along with the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, the IESBA is part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit. The Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB) oversees IESBA and IAASB activities and the public interest responsiveness of the standards.