S.L. 386.31 Art. 35Assurance report on sustainability reporting.    Cap. 281.

(1) The statutory auditor or audit firm shall submit the results of the assurance of sustainability reporting in an assurance report on sustainability reporting. That report shall be prepared in compliance with standards adopted in terms of the Accountancy

Profession Act or any regulations issued thereunder. The assurance report on sustainability reporting shall be in writing and shall:

(a) identify the entity whose annual or consolidated sustainability reporting is the subject of the assurance engagement; specify the annual or consolidated sustainability reporting and the date and period it covers; and identify the sustainability reporting framework that has been applied in its preparation; and

(b) include a description of the scope of the assurance of sustainability reporting which shall as a minimum, identify the assurance standards in accordance with which the assurance of sustainability reporting was conducted.

(2) Where the assurance of sustainability reporting was carried out by more than one (1) auditor or audit firm, the auditors or the audit firms shall agree on the results of the assurance of sustainability reporting and submit a joint report and opinion. In the case of disagreement, each auditor or audit firm shall submit their opinion in a separate paragraph of the assurance report on sustainability reporting and shall state the reason for the disagreement.

(3) The assurance report on sustainability reporting shall be signed and dated by the auditor carrying out the assurance of sustainability reporting. Where an audit firm carries out the assurance of sustainability reporting, the assurance report on sustainability reporting shall bear the signature of at least the auditors carrying out the assurance of sustainability reporting on behalf of the audit firm. Where more than one (1) auditor or audit firm have been simultaneously engaged, the assurance report on sustainability reporting shall be signed by all the auditors or at least by the auditors carrying out the assurance of sustainability reporting on behalf of every audit firm.

(4) The copy of the assurance report on sustainability which is delivered to the Registrar shall state the names of the auditors involved. In exceptional circumstances, the Minister may at his discretion, determine that such signatures may not be disclosed to the public if such disclosure may lead to an imminent and significant threat to the personal security of any person. In any case, the names of the persons involved in the carrying out of the assurance of sustainability reporting shall be known to the Registrar.

(5) Where the same auditor carries out the statutory audit of annual financial statements and the assurance of sustainability reporting, the assurance report on sustainability reporting may be included as a separate section of the audit report referred to under article 179A of the Act.

(6) The report of the auditor or the audit firm on the consolidated sustainability reporting shall comply with the requirements prescribed in sub-regulations (1) to (5).