From publicaccountant.com.au: Mark Babington of the IESBA announced that new International Ethics Standards for Sustainability Assurance (IESSA), effective December 2026, will revolutionize how sustainability information is verified and strengthen ethical requirements for practitioners in Australia.

The Australian government has mandated large entities to report climate-related risks from January 2025, aligning with global frameworks like the TCFD to ensure significant disclosure of their environmental impacts.

These changes come in response to growing investment community concerns about sustainability and aim to enhance public confidence amid rising instances of greenwashing in financial reporting.