The IFRS Foundation has released 17 detailed jurisdictional profiles that showcase global progress in aligning national regulatory frameworks with the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) Standards. A total of 36 jurisdictions have either adopted the ISSB’s sustainability disclosure standards or are in the process of integrating them into their domestic frameworks, marking a major step toward establishing a global baseline for sustainability-related disclosures.
The profiles offer transparency to capital markets by outlining each jurisdiction’s stated goals, adoption timelines, and current status on sustainability-related disclosure requirements. Of the jurisdictions profiled, 14 have committed to fully adopting the ISSB Standards, two plan to adopt only the climate-related aspects, and one aims for partial incorporation. Countries featured in the profiles include Australia, Brazil, Nigeria, Hong Kong SAR, Türkiye, and others across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Alongside the profiles, the IFRS Foundation published 16 “snapshots” providing high-level insights into jurisdictions whose adoption plans are still under development. Twelve of these jurisdictions—such as Canada and Japan—have already proposed or published standards that are either fully aligned or functionally equivalent to the ISSB Standards. The remaining four are at varying stages of considering adoption.
IFRS Foundation Chair Emmanuel Faber emphasised the importance of this milestone, “The ISSB Standards are bringing clarity to investors on the risks and opportunities lying in value chains across time horizons in a rapidly changing world… We have seen new jurisdictions joining the initial cohort of ISSB adopters every month, with a total of 36 today.”
The publication follows the May 2024 release of the Inaugural Jurisdictional Guide, and aims to serve as a reference for investors, companies, regulators, and assurance providers. Profiles are developed through bilateral engagement with national authorities and independently reviewed before confirmation by ISSB representatives.
The IFRS Foundation is also supporting jurisdictions through its Regulatory Implementation Programme and recently released a Roadmap Development Tool to guide countries through key decisions when adopting the standards.
While the EU’s approach to ISSB interoperability is still under review pending regulatory simplifications to the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the IFRS Foundation expects to update its description in due course.
As jurisdictions representing significant global market capitalisation move toward full or partial adoption, the ISSB’s framework is gaining traction as a unifying structure for consistent, high-quality sustainability reporting worldwide.
