IESBA Releases Comparison of IESSA and IESBA Code

Posted 08 August 2025 Written by Acts Online
Category Sustainability Reporting

Brought to you by SA Accounting Academy: The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) has issued a comparison document to assist practitioners in applying the International Ethics Standards for Sustainability Assurance (IESSA).

In terms of the International Ethics Standards for Sustainability Assurance (IESSA), the staff of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) has released an implementation support publication detailing the key differences between the IESSA and the provisions of the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) (the Code) applicable to financial statement audits.

The publication serves as a comparison document outlining the primary distinctions between the IESSA and the ethics and independence provisions found in Parts 1 to 4A of the Code. It is specifically designed to support firms that already adhere to the Code in understanding the implementation of the IESSA for sustainability assurance engagements (SAEs).

The IESSA establishes ethical behavior and independence standards for SAEs that are intended to be as rigorous as those applied to financial audits. The IESBA developed these standards on the premise that relationships or circumstances creating threats to compliance in a financial audit context are likely to create similar threats in a sustainability assurance context.

The support material includes:

  • A detailed comparison between the IESSA and Parts 1 to 4A of the Code;
  • A marked-up version of the IESSA highlighting specific changes from the corresponding sections of the extant Code; and
  • Guidance on identifying threats to independence and fundamental principles within the scope of sustainability assurance.

Click here to download the Key Differences Between IESSA and Parts 1 to 4A.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: No direct individual obligations; impact is channelled through firm-level compliance and the requirement to adhere to professional standards during sustainability-related engagements.
  • For your business: Firms performing sustainability assurance must update their internal ethics and independence frameworks to align with the specific requirements of the IESSA as distinct from financial audit standards.
  • For your clients: Clients seeking sustainability assurance should be aware that practitioners are now subject to specific independence standards (IESSA) designed to ensure the same level of integrity as statutory financial audits.

Originally published at https://accountingacademy.co.za/news/read/iesba-key-differences-between-iessa-and-the-iesba-code

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