IFRS S1, General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information, was issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) on June 26, 2023. It was released alongside IFRS S2, with both standards becoming effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2024.
IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 were issued on 26 June 2023 and are effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2024.
The former conservative government announced that they would make IFRS S1 and S2 reporting mandatory with amendments to IFRS S1 and S2 for UK specific requirements. The exposure drafts of UK SRS are therefore very similar to the IFRS S1 and S2 save for certain amendments.
IFRS S1 covers the disclosure of information about a company's governance, strategy, risk management, metrics and targets. The standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2024; however, the effective date in each country will also depend on the local legislation.
IFRS 1 was issued by the Board in June 2003.
In June 2003 the Board issued IFRS 1 First-time Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards to replace SIC-8. IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements (as revised in 2007) amended the terminology used throughout IFRS Standards, including IFRS 1. The Board restructured IFRS 1 in November 2008.
When will the changes come into effect? The FRC has decided to apply the new regime for financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2015, which will require 2014 comparatives to be restated. What is FRS 102? FRS 102 will replace almost all current UK accounting standards from 2015.
The principles set out in IFRS S1, being the four pillars of sustainability: Governance, Strategy, Risk Management, and Metrics & Targets, have been borrowed from the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
IFRS S1 sets out the general requirements for a complete set of sustainability-related financial disclosures. IFRS S1 is designed to be applied in conjunction with IFRS S2, which is a topic-based standard that specifies disclosures relating to climate.
IFRS S1 applies to all businesses that prepare general purpose financial reports, regardless of the accounting framework used, including those following International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), or other local reporting standards.
The "Big 4" in ESG standards generally refers to the leading, complementary frameworks: GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) for broad stakeholder impact, SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) for investor-focused financial materiality, TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures) for climate risks, and CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) for environmental performance disclosure, often used together for comprehensive reporting, with newer ISSB standards gaining prominence.
AASB S1 corresponds to IFRS S1 and covers all sustainability-related risks and opportunities. This voluntary standard has been issued in recognition of the Australian Government's intention to approach mandatory sustainability requirements from a 'climate first, but not only' perspective.
At the midpoint of 2025, the ESG landscape continues to evolve amid rising political rhetoric and regulatory change. While some believe that ESG is losing momentum, the reality is that the business case for ESG remains strong.
However during Trump's first presidency, ESG practices in the U.S. faced resistance as federal policies favored deregulation and fossil fuel investments, halting the upward trajectory of ESG. During Donald Trump's first term, over 100 environmental regulations were rolled back.
The debates resulted in mandatory requirements for share-based payment transactions – i.e. IFRS 2 – being issued in 2004.
Current status of ESG reporting mandates in the U.S.
ESG reporting in the U.S. currently combines voluntary guidelines with emerging mandatory regulations. While a comprehensive federal mandate is still under development, state-level regulations are increasingly shaping the reporting landscape.
Who needs to comply with IFRS S1 and IFRS S2? IFRS S1 and S2 apply to companies that operate in jurisdictions where these standards are adopted either as mandatory requirements or as the recommended reporting baseline.
However, environmental, economic, social, and human sustainability focuses on preserving future generations and improving the quality of life. We're exploring the link between these pillars and climate change, and how effectively incorporating them into our processes can help combat the climate crisis.
IFRS S1 is a global reporting standard designed to enhance transparency in sustainability-related financial disclosures. It has a broad scope, requiring entities to disclose all material information that could impact their cash flows, financial position, and cost of capital over the short, medium, and long term.
The Ps refer to People, Planet, and Profit, also often referred to as the triple bottom line.
IFRS S1: prescribes how a company prepares and reports its sustainability-related financial disclosures. IFRS S2: sets out supplementary requirements that relate specifically to climate-related risks and opportunities.
Value chain defined under IFRS S1 and S2
Under IFRS S1, value is defined broadly to encompass not only financial performance but also the sustainability-related impacts of a company's operations across the entire value chain.
Declaring (and rightfully so) that their main goal is to protect US investors' interests, the SEC notes that IFRS lacks consistent application, allows too much leeway with judgment, and is underdeveloped in many specific areas, for which the US GAAP has detailed and accepted guidance and established practice ( ...
FIFO to LIFO is a change in accounting principle inseparable from a change in estimate and thus should be accounted for prospectively. LIFO to FIFO is a change in accounting principle and thus should be accounted for retrospectively as a cumulative adjustment.
Can a company use both GAAP and IFRS? Ans: Generally, a company must choose one standard based on its jurisdiction or market. However, businesses that operate internationally may need to prepare separate financial statements according to both GAAP and IFRS for different regions.