In September 2020, the Trustees of the IFRS Foundation published a consultation paper to assess demand for global sustainability standards and, if demand is strong, assess whether and to what extent the Foundation might contribute to the development of such standards. The paper noted the option of creating the SSB. The new board could operate alongside the IASB under the same three-tier governance structure, build on existing developments, and collaborate with other bodies and initiatives in sustainability, focusing initially on climate-related matters.

In his letter, Mr Carney notes:

The IFRS Foundation has an essential role to play in making this vision a reality, and I fully endorse your proposal for a new Sustainability Standards Board under the Foundation’s remit. The Foundation, with its track record of robust, reliable and independent global standard-setting should play a pivotal role in delivering sustainability reporting standards that are in the public interest.

Please click to download the full letter from the IASB website.

Details on the presenters, roundtable participants and speakers are available in the programme on the ANC website.

Three policy papers to be presented at the symposium are available in advance (all links to ANC website):

• Disclosure Transparency and Disagreement Among Economic Agents: The Case of Goodwill Impairment
• The Distinction between Debt and Equity
• Materiality assessment: contribution to single or double materiality debate

Note: A recording of all presentations, speeches, and panel discussions was made available on the ANC website after the event.

In our comments on the proposals in the consultation paper, we also note that the standards to be developed should build on the best of what we have and cite the work of CDP, CDSB, GRI, IIRC and SASB who in September 2020 released a statement of intent to work together towards comprehensive corporate reporting in a comprehensive corporate reporting system. We believe the vision in that statement could serve as a natural starting point for progress towards a more coherent, comprehensive corporate reporting system. For the reasons stated in the consultation paper, we believe that the IFRS Foundation should begin with sustainability reporting standards for climate-related information, however, whilst we believe these standards to be the first priority, we also note that the SSB should proceed without delay to other sustainability topics.

In addition, we point out that the IFRS Foundation’s proposal would lead to a significant step towards a comprehensive corporate reporting system that builds on the well-established efforts of the existing sustainability standards and frameworks to create a standard-setting solution for reporting focused on long-term value creation, connected to financial information. Further blocks can be added to address the wider impacts of companies on the economy, environment and people, and to reflect regional and local public policy priorities. We cite IFAC’s Enhancing Corporate Reporting: The Way Forward as a demonstration of how a ‘building block approach’ can both achieve a core set of global sustainability standards and respond to the local or regional public policy objectives.

Lastly, we stress that timely action is needed to avoid fragmentation, duplications or parallel reporting requirements on topics that are common across the system. In the absence of a single set of global sustainability reporting standards, some regions are moving ahead by themselves. This could result in multiple reporting frameworks and reporting standards existing for an extended (or indefinite) period. The primary objective needs to be a reduction in, and consolidation of, the plethora of different frameworks and standards that currently exist.

We sum up our position by stating:

The scale of the challenges and the increasing momentum from all stakeholders for a global solution for sustainability reporting standards make the undeniable case for immediate action. The actions proposed in the Consultation Paper should be taken without delay.

Download the full comment letter here.

The participants discussed:

• Updates on Trustees and Board’s Activities — The Advisory Council received an update on recent Trustee activities that focused on COVID-19, roles requiring succession, and sustainability. There was also an update on recent Board activities that focused on IFRS 17 amendments, IBOR Phase 2, COVID-19, and the post-implementation reviews of IFRS 9 and IFRS 15.
• Feedback from previous Adisory Council meetings — Council members received an update on how the IFRS Foundation has incorporated past Advisory Council feedback into its strategic activities related to relevance, risk, process and the IFRS Standards, since the last Council meeting.
• Sustainability — This was the main agenda item and focused on the consultation paper on sustainability reporting. Questions considered were:
  • Is there a need for a global set of internationally recognised sustainability reporting standards?
  • Is the development of a sustainability standards board (SSB) to operate under the governance structure of the IFRS Foundation an appropriate approach to achieving further consistency and global comparability in sustainability reporting?
  • Do Council members have any comment or suggested additions on the requirements for success (including on the requirements for achieving a sufficient level of funding and achieving the appropriate level of technical expertise)?
  • Could the IFRS Foundation use its relationships with stakeholders to aid the adoption and consistent application of SSB standards globally? If so, under what conditions?
  • How could the IFRS Foundation best build upon and work with the existing initiatives in sustainability reporting to achieve further global consistency?
  • How could the IFRS Foundation best build upon and work with the existing jurisdictional initiatives to find a global solution for consistent sustainability reporting?
  • If the IFRS Foundation were to establish an SSB, should it initially develop climate-related financial disclosures before potentially broadening its remit into other areas of sustainability reporting?
  • Should an SSB have a focused definition of climate-related risks or consider broader environmental factors?
  • Do Council members agree with the proposed approach to materiality that could be taken by the SSB?

The full meeting summary is available on the IASB's website. There are also recordings of the individual sessions.

He has now collected the input received in to one document, which again consults on. The document focuses on obtaining additional input on a number of matters that were not, or not fully addressed in the first public consultation conducted in October 2020.

Please click for more information in the press release on the EFRAG website.

The concept of ‘Social Value’ is an area of growing government, public and commercial interest. However, its meaning is often clouded in uncertainty, with many definitions, and the lack of an internationally recognised measurement framework and standards of practice.

This new perspectives paper explores some of the concepts surrounding social value and seeks comments to determine whether standards or guidance material are required.

Please click to access the paper on the IVSC website.

The event focused on the views of European investment decision-makers as regards information about the objectives and targets for an acquisition and, in subsequent periods, information about how that acquisition is performing against those targets that they consider important.

High-level speakers and panellists considered the IASB’s preliminary views included in the Discussion Paper Business Combinations —  Disclosures, Goodwill and Impairment and the EFRAG’s Draft Comment Letter.

Please click for access to the summary report on the EFRAG website.