Biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services

As part of its 2024-2026 work plan, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) will research risks and opportunities associated with sustainability topics beyond climate for entities to meet the information needs of investors. The research projects will help the ISSB decide whether it should pursue standard-setting for disclosure requirements on some or all of these topics. 

The ISSB will explore information about sustainability-related risks and opportunities associated with biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services (BEES). Biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services are intrinsically linked. Biodiversity is a foundational characteristic of natural systems, and it is a proxy for functional, productive and resilient ecosystems that are able to provide the ecosystem services upon which life on earth relies. Many economic activities depend on or otherwise affect BEES. Therefore, efforts to preserve, conserve and restore BEES can help manage risks or give rise to opportunities for companies. These risks and opportunities can reasonably be expected to affect a company’s prospects as described in IFRS S1 General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information and might result in material information for investors.  

Initial research will seek to define the project’s scope and determine how best to stage work on the topic to produce timely analysis and explore the necessity and feasibility of standard-setting.