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Our resource centre provides an overview of the Australian regulatory landscape highlighting the increasing focus of climate change and sustainability within financial reporting and helps you consider the reporting impacts.  Discover the latest developments in sustainability reporting both globally and locally.

Use our 10 questions for audit committees as a starting point for your impact assessment relating to the financial statements.

An overview of the Australian regulatory landscape and financial reporting trends for climate change and decarbonisation.

Our publications help organisations communicate the impact of climate in Annual reports and financial statements.

Frequently asked questions to help identify and address climate change impacts on your financial statements.
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Understand the rapid and converging developments in sustainability reporting.

International Sustainability Standards Board

The IFRS Foundation is aiming to put sustainability reporting on the same footing as financial reporting through the establishment of a sister body to the International Accounting Standards Board. The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) will develop baseline sustainability disclosure standards to enable globally consistent, comparable and reliable sustainability reporting using a building blocks approach. This approach will allow national and regional jurisdictions to build on that global baseline to set supplemental standards that serve their specific jurisdictional needs.  Read more >

Global sustainability reporting standards

Sustainability reporting continues to develop at a fast pace across the globe. Three different bodies are developing sustainability standards across the globe: the ISSB, the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG).

The ISSB published the first two IFRS^® Sustainability Disclosure Standards (IFRS S1 General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information and IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures) on 26 June 2023. The IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards are designed to meet the needs of all organisations, not just the most sophisticated. They provide a clear idea of what organisations need to report to meet the needs of global capital markets – providing investors with globally comparable information.

Read more about the new ISSB sustainability disclosures standards >

The EFRAG and SEC standard proposals share numerous commonalities with the ISSB standards, however there are a differences that are important to understand when organisations are required to, or are considering reporting under multiple frameworks. 

Our Comparing sustainability reporting proposals guide provides further insight on some of the practical challenges you may encounter as you prepare for the new sustainability reporting standards.

Sustainability-related disclosures – heightened expectations for current reporting periods 

Recent regulator and government activities in Australia in late 2022/early 2023 reinforced the increasing focus and heightened expectations surrounding sustainability reporting, particularly climate. Exposed organisations need to act now rather than later in considering their reporting and communications.

In the absence of requirements mandating climate-related disclosures in Australia, the TCFD recommendations continue to be supported by all Australian standard-setters and regulators and are currently considered to be the basis for best practice disclosures in Annual Reports. 

Read more in Reporting Update 23RU-01 >

Mandatory climate related-financial reporting in Australia moving closer

In July 2023, the Australian Treasury released its second consultation paper to seek views on whether its proposed positions relating to coverage, content, framework and liability for climate related financial reporting are workable. Treasury is proposing to facilitate standardised mandatory reporting that aligns with international standards from financial years 2024-25.

The second Treasury consultation paper seeks feedback on proposed positions for:

• Reporting entities – phased implementation depending on size
• Assurance requirements – phased moving from limited to reasonable assurance
• Reporting framework – location, frequency, and timing of disclosures
  
• Liability and enforcement – modified liability approach to forward looking statements
  
• Reporting content  - which is broadly consistent with IFRS S1 and IFRS S2.
  

Read more in Reporting Update 23RU-09 >

Read our response to the second Treasury consultation >

This second consultation builds on its discovery consultation in December 2022 that sought initial views on proposals to introduce standardised, internationally aligned legislative requirements for disclosure of climate-related financial risks and opportunities in Australia.

Views were also sought on necessary changes to ensure Australia’s financial reporting bodies were appropriately positioned for the expansion of international standard setting priorities on climate and sustainability reporting.

Read more in Reporting Update 23RU-01 >

Read our response to the first discovery Treasury consultation >

The Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) will continue its climate-related financial disclosure project to release a standard based on IFRS S2. In its June meeting, the AASB decided to expand the scope of its project, previously limited to the for-profit sector, to explore the development of sector-neutral Australian climate-related financial disclosure requirements.

KPMG Australia's services related to sustainability and climate change reporting in financial statements.

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