Beyond the GAAP - September 2020

Now that the pace of accounting standardisation has slowed down a little, and pending the IASB’s feedback (expected by the end of the year) on the 200-odd comment letters received in response to the exposure draft on the presentation of financial statements, this month’s edition of Beyond the GAAP turns to news about the non-financial reporting in relation with environmental, social and governance indicators (ESG).

The underlying trend observed for several months (indeed, years) towards a growing overlap between financial and non-financial reporting seems even more pressing at a time when the European Union has shifted up a gear in its approach to the standardisation of non-financial reporting by involving EFRAG, the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group.

While it is too early to say, in light of all the current discussions elsewhere in different groups and bodies internationally, whether Europe's initiative will ultimately be enforced on European companies, at first sight this stage marks a major step forward that deserves a closer look in this edition.

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