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

Biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services (BEES) 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.  

Following initial research to build foundational knowledge on the topic and determine how best to stage work to produce timely analysis, the ISSB is exploring the necessity and feasibility of standard-setting and expects to conclude research and decide project direction before the end of 2025.

ISSB Update November 2025

The ISSB met on 6 November 2025 to discuss:

  • the information that primary users of general purpose financial reports commonly need about nature-related risks and opportunities;
  • the potential to draw on the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) recommendations, metrics and additional guidance including the LEAP approach (collectively, the TNFD framework) to meet those information needs; and
  • potential approaches for the ISSB to meet those needs.

The ISSB decided to draw on the TNFD framework to meet primary users’ common information needs about nature-related risks and opportunities, and to build on the requirements in IFRS S1 General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information.

All 11 ISSB members present agreed with this decision. One member was absent.

The ISSB also decided to undertake standard-setting to introduce incremental disclosure requirements about nature-related risks and opportunities not reflected in explicit requirements in IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures.

All 11 ISSB members present agreed with this decision. One member was absent.

The ISSB discussed ways to approach standard-setting but was not asked to make any decisions on the form and content of standard-setting at this meeting.

The ISSB also decided to consider developing educational materials to support the application of the requirements in IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards in the context of providing nature-specific information subsequent to standard-setting.

Ten of the 11 ISSB members present agreed with this decision. One member was absent.

Next milestone

Decide Project Direction