At a recently concluded Annual General Meeting (AGM) of a company, one of the shareholders remarked; “historical financial statements are essential in corporate reporting, particularly for compliance purposes, but it can be argued that they do not provide meaningful information. After having issued a series of environmental and then sustainability reports, it is apparent that although the numbers were allowing a true and fair review of the company’s performance, operations and management they were not necessarily relevant to stakeholders. The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) is calling for a shift in thinking more to the long term, to think beyond what can be measured in quantitative terms and to think about how the entity creates value for its owners” the statement concluded.

Required:

Discuss the principles and key components of the IIRC’s Framework, and any concerns which could impede the Framework’s suitability for assessing the prospects of an entity.