As ESG moves beyond polished reporting, organisations must prove their sustainability claims through reliable data, controls, assurance, and governance. Michelle Wicmandy explores how fragmented systems create false confidence, why audit committees are becoming central to ESG oversight, and how businesses can turn sustainability narratives into operational truth.

The UK’s new ISSA (UK) 5000 standard marks a major step toward credible and consistent sustainability assurance. It strengthens trust in ESG disclosures, raises expectations for data quality and governance, and signals a future where assured sustainability information becomes a core requirement for companies, investors and regulators across the UK market.