IFRS Updates Educational Materials on Climate-Related Matters

On June 26, 2023, the inaugural IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards were released. Specifically, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) issued IFRS S1 General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information and IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures; and in response, the IFRS has updated its Educational Material: Effects of Climate-Related Matters on Financial Statements. The educational material helps companies comprehend how to report on “material” climate-related matters in their financial statements. While the IFRS Accounting standards (developed by the IASB), do not clearly refer to climate-related matters, consideration of material climate-related matters is required by the IASB’s standards. The IASB is also working on a project on Climate-Related Risks in Financial Statements, to improve upon a financial statements’ ability to convey climate-related risks. The IASB is also considering whether to include “sustainability-related risks and opportunities beyond those related to climate.”