ISSB consults on its proposals for nature-related disclosures

The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) is asking for feedback on its proposals for nature-related disclosures until 19 February 2027.

The proposals have been developed to help companies provide material information to investors about nature-related risks and opportunities, including material information about how their dependencies and impacts on nature give rise to those risks and opportunities.

Companies applying the ISSB’s foundational Standard, IFRS S1 General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information, are already required to disclose material information about their sustainability-related risks and opportunities that could affect their prospects, which include those related to nature. The focus of the ISSB’s nature-related disclosures project is to provide more detail on how companies can provide this information, improving the quality and comparability of nature-related financial information globally.

In line with its existing Standards, the ISSB’s approach is designed to avoid siloed reporting so that investors can understand the connections between nature-related risks and opportunities, other sustainability-related risks and opportunities including climate, and information in the financial statements.

The ISSB has drawn extensively from the work of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) in developing its proposals, especially to emphasise the relevance of location and interactions with Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities and affected stakeholders when providing nature-related disclosures.

The ISSB’s proposals come in the form of a Practice Statement—a stand-alone, prominent part of IFRS Foundation materials, subject to the IFRS Foundation’s full due process. From a content and drafting perspective there is no difference between a Practice Statement and a Standard. The key difference is that a company is not required to comply with a Practice Statement to state compliance with ISSB Standards, so this approach supports high-quality nature-related disclosures but prevents disruption in companies and jurisdictions’ efforts to implement the ISSB Standards.

In addition to seeking feedback on the content of the proposals, the ISSB is asking for feedback on whether to finalise the Practice Statement or issue nature-related content in another form (for example, as a Standard).

In developing its proposals, the ISSB has worked to ensure that companies that choose to or need to apply the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards or European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) alongside an IFRS Sustainability Practice Statement can do so efficiently.

ISSB Chair Emmanuel Faber said:

Whether it is access to water for production, to rivers for transportation or to bees for pollination, companies around the world depend on nature. When a company’s access to these environmental resources is threatened, the company can face risks and opportunities that affect its prospects.

We believe companies that comply with an IFRS Sustainability Practice Statement on nature-related disclosures will be best placed to provide high-quality reporting to their investors.

ISSB Vice-Chair Sue Lloyd said:

We recognise that companies are deeply engaged with applying IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 for the first time. What we’re proposing is to balance the need to give markets time to implement the ISSB Standards well, with the demand from investors for information on nature.

TNFD Co-Chair David Craig said:

I welcome the publication of the ISSB’s Exposure Draft on nature-related disclosures, which draws extensively on the TNFD’s framework. This milestone builds on the momentum achieved over the past five years by TNFD in driving better nature-related reporting and is a testament to both the progress made and the significant demand for high-quality nature-related information. At TNFD, we have now completed our own technical work on assessment and disclosure and we are focused on providing continued support to the ISSB as it finalises its proposals and delivering capacity-building initiatives around the world. 

Access the materials and share your feedback

• Exposure Draft
• Basis for Conclusions
• Accompanying Guidance
• Snapshot

Submit your comments using the online survey. The 120-day comment period closes on 19 February 2027.

Watch the live webinar from COP17

Join the live webinar during the UN Convention on Biological Diversity—COP17—today, Thursday 22 October 2026 at 16:00 CEST, to hear more about the proposals. Registration to watch the webinar is required.