The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) has released additional guidance covering eight real economy sectors, updated additional guidance for financial institutions, and guidance on value chains. These resources are designed to help companies implement the TNFD Recommendations more effectively. The TNFD Recommendations are structured around four core pillars: (i) Governance, (ii) Strategy, (iii), Risk and Impact Management, and (iv) Metrics & Targets. They are aligned with the International Sustainability Standards Board’s IFRS Sustainability Standards, which incorporate the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures recommendations (see our earlier bulletin here). Additionally, the TNFD Recommendations support the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (see our earlier bulletin here). TNFD also announced that it has experienced a surge in adoption, with a 30% increase in companies implementing its reporting recommendations since January. This growth is attributed to 96 additional firms committing to TNFD’s nature-related disclosure framework, bringing the total number of committed firms to 416. This bulletin provides a brief overview of the TNFD’s additional guidance and important information about ongoing stakeholder consultations. Additional sector guidance. The TNFD recognizes significant sectoral differences for corporations implementing the TNFD’s ‘LEAP’ (Locate, Evaluate, Assess and Prepare) approach. To address this variation, it has provided additional sector-specific guidance that is supplemental and intended to complement the TNFD’s Guidance on assessment of nature-related issues: the LEAP approach. The additional guidance offers detailed instructions on applying the TNFD core global disclosure metrics, core sector metrics, and the LEAP approach within the following sectors: Aquaculture; Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals; Chemicals; Electric Utilities and Power Generators; Food and Agriculture; Forestry and Paper; Metals and Mining; and Oil and Gas. Additional guidance for financial institutions. The updated additional guidance for financial institutions (version 2.0) provides additional guidance for financial institutions to apply the TNFD Recommendations, and is applicable to…
The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) on Monday announced a series of significant initiatives, strategic partnerships, and collaborations aimed at harmonizing sustainability reporting requirements for companies. The ISSB provided updates on its new two-year work plan, which focuses on further harmonization and consolidation of the disclosure landscape in response to market demand. Key areas of focus include corporate climate transition plans and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions measurement across the value chain. This bulletin highlights the key initiatives, strategic partnerships, and collaborations being pursued by the ISSB. Harmonizing disclosures about transition plans. The ISSB indicated that it intends to streamline and consolidate frameworks and standards for disclosures about transition plans. This work is expected to align with the ISSB’s focus over the next two years on supporting the implementation of IFRS S1 General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information (IFRS S1) and IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures (IFRS S2) (see our earlier bulletin here). The ISSB indicated that it will focus on providing high-quality, decision-useful information consistent with IFRS S2, instead of requiring transition planning. The ISSB announced that the IFRS Foundation will assume responsibility for disclosure-specific materials developed by the Transition Plan Taskforce, which draws from the work of the Glasgow Finance Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). The materials will be housed on the IFRS Sustainability Knowledge Hub and used to develop educational materials that align with IFRS S2’s global baseline and focus on climate-related risks and opportunities. Measuring GHG emissions effectively. The IFRS Foundation has taken a crucial step in supporting credible net-zero transition plans in the private sector by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the GHG Protocol, a global leader in emissions calculations. This collaboration will enable the two organizations to work together on updates and decisions related to their standards, including the appointment of an ISSB…
The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), a standard-setting board of the IFRS Foundation, has published Exposure Draft IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures (the Climate Exposure Draft) and Exposure Draft IFRS S1 General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information (the Sustainability Exposure Draft). The Climate Exposure Draft is based on the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure and incorporates industry-based disclosure requirements from the SASB Standards. The Sustainability Exposure Draft provides overall requirements for disclosing sustainability-related financial information about significant sustainability-related risks and opportunities. This bulletin provides key information on both documents and the recently launched consultations. Climate Exposure Draft Objective. The objectives of the Climate Exposure Draft include, among others, requiring disclosure of information about exposure to significant climate-related risks and opportunities, enabling users of an entity’s general purpose financial reporting to: Assess the effects of significant climate-related risks and opportunities on enterprise value. Understand how the use of resources, and corresponding inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes support responses to and strategy for managing significant climate-related risks and opportunities. Evaluate the ability to adapt planning, business model, and operations to significant climate-related risks and opportunities. Enable users of general-purpose financial reporting to understand the governance processes, controls, and procedures used to monitor and manage climate-related risks and opportunities and the strategies for addressing significant climate-related risks and opportunities. Scope. The Climate Exposure Draft would apply to climate-related risks an entity is exposed to including physical and transitional risks, and climate-related opportunities available to an entity. Sustainability Exposure Draft Objective. The objectives of the Sustainability Exposure Draft include, among others: Require disclosure of significant sustainability-related risks and opportunities useful to the primary users of general purpose financial reporting when assessing enterprise value and deciding whether to provide resources. Require disclosure of material information about exposure to all significant…