Members of KPMG’s business in Qatar have completed a two-day training session on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) assurance, providing them the skills & capabilities to apply their learnings in their client engagements.

The training hosted a group of around 40 professionals from the firm’s Audit division, walking them through the importance of embedding ESG within the assurance process, and KPMG’s methodology in the field.

“Assuring the quality of ESG data is crucial for companies aiming to demonstrate best practices, enhance their credibility, and mitigate greenwashing risks,” said Gopal Balasubramaniam, Partner and Head of Audit at KPMG in Qatar.

The training introduced participants to key elements of KPMG’s methodology for ESG assurance, including an enhanced workflow on the KPMG Clara platform, designed for consistency across global KPMG teams. It emphasized alignment with internationally recognized assurance standards – such as the newly approved International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA) 5000 to address a range of topics and assurance levels.

Participants were also informed about a new centralized knowledge library that KPMG launched on ESG matters, offering resources on common assurance topics, starting with greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

Ahmed Abu Sharkh, Senior Country Partner of KPMG in Qatar said that “with this training, KPMG remains at the forefront of advancing ESG assurance in Qatar, supporting clients as they navigate evolving regulatory standards and stakeholder expectations.”

“With the newly trained audit staff, KPMG in Qatar is fully equipped to offer ESG assurance services, providing clients with confidence in the reliability of their ESG disclosures,” added Rizwan Yaseen, Associate Partner at the Big Four firm.

The training comes at a time of growing focus on ESG. With governments, consumers, shareholders and society upping their expectations on ESG performance, demand for transparent disclosures and reporting is emerging as a key topic for companies. A robust ESG assurance provides greater credibility towards the market, enhances credit ratings, and strengthens trust and transparency in the company’s sustainability efforts.

While internal audit teams check and control these disclosures from within the business, external auditors like KPMG conduct an independent audit.