AccountAbility helps individuals and organizations develop the knowledge and skills to implement effective stakeholder engagement, sustainability management, reporting, and assurance. The Certified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner (CSAP) qualification, initially developed in 2007 by AccountAbility and IRCA (International Register of Certificated Auditors), is the first internationally recognized professional qualification in the field of sustainability assurance.

It aims to:

• Enable practitioners to develop, validate, and communicate their competence in a systematic manner
• Make it easier for organizations to identify credible assurance expertise
• Improve stakeholder confidence in the expertise of sustainability assurance professionals engaged by an organization

The qualification is intended for those who work in sustainability departments, ESG, internal audit, those who provide consultancy services, and external assurance providers who undertake sustainability assurance engagements.

Types of Practitioners

AccountAbility helps individuals and organizations develop the knowledge and skills to implement effective stakeholder engagement, sustainability management, reporting, and assurance.

There are three grades of the Certified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner (CSAP) qualification, along with the Sustainability Practitioner (SP) certificate. The list of individuals currently certified at the different levels are as follows:

• Lead CSAP (LCSAP)
• Practicing CSAP (PCSAP)
• Associate CSAP (ACSAP)
• Sustainability Practitioner (SP)

CSAP Routes

Training Route

Individuals can achieve the Sustainability Practitioner (SP) certificate and Associate Certified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner (ACSAP) qualification by following an online AA1000 training conducted by AccountAbility licensed training providers. If you are an individual who is interested in AA1000 online training, refer to the list of organizations licensed by AccountAbility offering training here –

Licensed Training Providers

Thereafter, with experience gained, each Associate CSAP (ACSAP) can regrade to elevate their level to Practicing CSAP (PCSAP) and then to Lead CSAP (LCSAP) based on the Criteria for CSAP Programme. Please note that in order to apply for the PCSAP or LCSAP qualification, you need to demonstrate relevant work experience in AA1000 and conducting or leading assurance engagements.

Experienced Route

Individuals already experienced in sustainability assurance who have not followed the licensed AA1000 training programme, can apply for the ‘Experienced route’. For this you should be able to meet the competency criteria defined in the Criteria for CSAP Programme and have demonstrated the ability to operate effectively at the grade of practitioner for which you are applying for. There is currently no ‘Experienced route’ available for Associate CSAP (ACSAP) or Sustainability Practitioner (SP) levels.

How to apply for the PCSAP or LCSAP grade

The process in order to obtain the certification is the following:

• Refer to the Criteria for CSAP Programme
• Request the application form for the relevant CSAP level from standards@accountability.org
• Send in the completed application form electronically along with all the relevant documentation, required evidence and £224 (GBP) application fees (the invoice will be sent after we receive the completed application form).