Audit of EasyJet PLC – climate change-related trends and risks

ClientEarth has challenged PwC's audit of EasyJet PLC's 2017 Annual Report, alleging that the report contains material misstatements due to the omission of climate change-related risks and the low carbon transition. ClientEarth contends that as an international airline, EasyJet is materially exposed to these trends, yet the report only provides mandatory greenhouse gas emissions disclosures and a general 'corporate responsibility' discussion. The organization argues that PwC, despite its public support for the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and its own expertise in climate risk, failed to apply professional scepticism and judgement as required by International Standards on Auditing (ISAs). ClientEarth has submitted a complaint to the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and questioned PwC on its processes for integrating climate knowledge into audit programmes and identifying material inconsistencies in strategic reports.

• ClientEarth alleges that EasyJet PLC's 2017 Annual Report and Accounts failed to provide adequate descriptions of principal risks, main trends, and long-term viability by omitting references to climate change and the low carbon transition.
• The document asserts that EasyJet's disclosure is insufficient, as it only includes mandatory greenhouse gas emissions data and a general 'corporate responsibility' section, ignoring broader climate-related risks recognized by peers, regulators, and governments.
• ClientEarth argues that PwC's audit report, which stated that the Strategic and Directors' Reports were consistent with financial statements and free of material misstatements, was flawed because it should have identified the omission of climate risks.
• PwC is highlighted as having significant institutional expertise and public commitment to climate risk reporting, specifically as a supporter of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), which ClientEarth argues should have been applied to the EasyJet audit.
• ClientEarth contends that PwC failed to adhere to specific International Standards on Auditing (ISAs), including ISA (UK) 200 regarding professional scepticism, ISA (UK) 315 regarding understanding the entity's environment, and ISA (UK) 720 regarding the audit of 'other information'.

APA

ClientEarth (2018). Audit of EasyJet PLC – climate change-related trends and risks. https://www.clientearth.org/media/ddmf4o5d/letter-to-pwc-regarding-easyjet-plc-audit-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Audit of EasyJet PLC – climate change-related trends and risks. 2018. https://www.clientearth.org/media/ddmf4o5d/letter-to-pwc-regarding-easyjet-plc-audit-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=Audit of EasyJet PLC – climate change-related trends and risks |date=5 September 2018 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/ddmf4o5d/letter-to-pwc-regarding-easyjet-plc-audit-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2018audit, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Audit of EasyJet PLC – climate change-related trends and risks}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2018}, month = sep, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/ddmf4o5d/letter-to-pwc-regarding-easyjet-plc-audit-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }