Nature, workforce risks next on ISSB’s agenda

Following a consultation on its future, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) is set to target corporate disclosures involving biodiversity and human capital issues.

The global policy group, which issued its first two sets of climate-focused disclosure standards last year, said it will now tackle nature-related risks and workforce-related risks alongside its top priority of supporting the implementation of its new climate standards.

“Beyond climate, we are committed to building out the global baseline of sustainability-related financial disclosure to meet the needs of investors,” ISSB chair Emmanuel Faber said in a release.

“Feedback indicated a significant and growing need among investors for improved disclosures around biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystems services as well as human capital, as a key source of value for companies,” he added.

The ISSB said its research will examine the limitations of current disclosure practices in these areas and will determine whether standard setting is required.

“The research projects will focus on the common information needs of investors in assessing whether and how these risks and opportunities could reasonably be expected to affect a company’s prospects,” the board said in a release.

These efforts will aim to build on existing work in this area, including the proposed standards crafted by the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), along with other global standards and guidance.

The ISSB said it will not be taking on the disclosure of broader human rights-related risks that go beyond the disclosure involving the condition of a company’s workforce and the workers in its value chain.

The board said it will publish a summary of the feedback it received on its consultation into its agenda for the years ahead, along with its plan for the next two years, in June.

James Langton

James is a senior reporter for Advisor.ca and its sister publication, Investment Executive. He has been reporting on regulation, securities law, industry news and more since 1994.