On 31st January 2022, the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) was consolidated into the IFRS Foundation to support the work of the newly established International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). While this site and its resources remain relevant for preparers looking to improve sustainability disclosure until such time as the ISSB issues its IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards on such topics, no further work or guidance will be produced or published by CDSB. For further information please visit the IFRS website.

CDSB and UNEP launch report on corporate sustainability reporting

Report supports governments interested in the corporate sustainability reporting agenda by providing answers to key questions.

The Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today launched the first of two reports on corporate sustainability reporting. The report, “Frequently Asked Questions on corporate sustainability reporting”, has been prepared to support the development of worldwide sustainability reporting, and is of interest to the public, sustainability practitioners, NGOs, regulators, policymakers and others.

Corporate sustainability reporting by the private sector is crucial in driving sustainable development, and businesses play a fundamental part in it. The report builds on the progress made to date in this area and outlines the key background information, including who is involved in developing sustainability reporting and why it is important for the global sustainability agenda. The report also provides an overview of current sustainability reporting policies, initiatives and practices. Further opportunities to develop corporate sustainability reporting are additionally discussed. A number of practical examples of activity, best practice, tools and links are also provided.

This report was commissioned by UNEP / Group of Friends of Paragraph 47 (GoF47) and prepared by CDSB. GoF47 was formed by the governments of Brazil, Denmark, France and South Africa, and supported by UNEP and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).  It was founded in 2012 following the acknowledgement of the importance of corporate sustainability reporting in Paragraph 47 of the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), also known as Rio+20. GoF47 founding member governments are pioneers in the promotion of sustainability reporting practice.