As the world gears up to welcome new sustainability reporting standards from the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), we take a look at how Asia is responding to the challenges posed. How do accounting and financial regulators, listed companies, auditors, investors and other stakeholders view the standards? What does each group need to do to prepare? Which markets are likely to lead the way? And how will the new ISSB standards align with existing ESG reporting guidelines in Asia?

While ISSB aims to set a “global baseline” for sustainability reporting, the draft standards produced to date—on general requirements and climate-related disclosure, both based on the TCFD framework and with a strong focus on enterprise value—already set a higher bar than most existing standards around the region. Leading markets in ESG reporting, such as Japan, Taiwan and Singapore, are beginning to promote or require the use of TCFD reporting, while Malaysia and Hong Kong are not too far behind. Although the region has made considerable progress over the past few years, there has been limited discussion to date of the importance of incorporating climate-related matters and potential impact on the financial statements.

This workshop will explore these developments and is designed to give delegates a thorough briefing on this important new aspect of corporate disclosure.