Global Standards to Be Set for Investor-Focused Sustainability Disclosure
The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), which comprises 180 member and associate organizations and represents over 3 million professional accountants globally, welcomes the establishment of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) working in close cooperation with the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), under the governance structure and leadership of the IFRS Foundation.
IFAC congratulates the IFRS Foundation Trustees for moving with unprecedented speed to meet the needs of investors, provide a holistic view of enterprise value, and address the climate crisis. Climate and other sustainability issues are global in nature and the ISSB will deliver a global solution for sustainability disclosure. The multi-jurisdictional footprint of the ISSB reflects this realty and can hopefully facilitate implementation of the ISSB’s standards.
IFAC also welcomes commitments to combine the CDSB and Value Reporting Foundation with the IFRS Foundation—providing much needed consolidation and contributing support and resources toward the success of the new ISSB. This positions the ISSB to build upon the high-quality work of existing sustainability-related initiatives and harmonize the standard-setting landscape—delivering a comprehensive global baseline of sustainability information material to enterprise value, connected to financial reporting through the fundamental concepts and guiding principles of integrated reporting.
“Now is the time for policymakers around the world to focus on how to capitalize on the forthcoming work of the ISSB,” said IFAC CEO Kevin Dancey. “As with the success of IFRS Standards for financial reporting, IOSCO’s support is key. Jurisdictions around the world need to take the next step—deciding to use, implement, and enforce IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards as part of a Building Blocks Approach that will deliver the global baseline for sustainability-related reporting needed for investors and capital markets.”
This approach enables global standards set by the ISSB—compatible with any multistakeholder-focused disclosures that some jurisdictions may require—to result in consistent, comparable, and assurable sustainability-related information that enhances corporate reporting.
IFAC urges its member organizations to support this initiative and engage now, at the local level, to help make new global standards into local reporting requirements.
Read more about IFAC’s support for global sustainability-related standards on the IFAC website.
About IFAC
IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of 180 members and associates in 135 countries and jurisdictions, representing more than 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.