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ISSB Launches Consultation on Nature-related Disclosures

ISSB Launches Consultation on Nature-related Disclosures

c2twsun October 24, 2026 0 Comments

On 22 October 2026, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) published its Exposure Draft IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Practice Statement 1 Nature-related Disclosures, opening a 120-day consultation period that closes on 19 February 2027. The proposals are designed to support companies in providing investors with high-quality, globally comparable information about nature-related risks and opportunities. (ifrs.org)

For companies already preparing for or applying IFRS S1 and IFRS S2, this is an important development. Nature is not being introduced as a separate, standalone reporting topic disconnected from financial reporting. Instead, the ISSB’s proposals are intended to help companies explain how nature-related dependencies and impacts may give rise to risks and opportunities that affect cash flows, access to finance, cost of capital and overall business prospects.

Nature-related reporting is already within the scope of IFRS S1

A key message from the ISSB is clear: reporting on nature is not optional where nature-related risks and opportunities are material.

Under IFRS S1, companies are already required to disclose material information about sustainability-related risks and opportunities that could reasonably be expected to affect their prospects. This includes nature-related matters where they are material to investors. In addition, where climate-related risks and opportunities under IFRS S2 are connected to nature-related factors, companies are expected to provide relevant nature-related information as part of their climate-related disclosures. (ifrs.org)

The proposed Practice Statement therefore does not create an isolated nature-reporting regime. Instead, it provides more detailed guidance on how companies can disclose nature-related financial information in a way that is decision-useful, comparable and connected with existing ISSB Standards.

Why the proposed Practice Statement matters

The ISSB has proposed issuing the nature-related disclosure requirements in the form of a Practice Statement. The Practice Statement would be a stand-alone part of IFRS Foundation materials and subject to the IFRS Foundation’s due process. According to the ISSB, there is no difference in content or drafting between a Practice Statement and a Standard; the key distinction is that a company is not required to comply with a Practice Statement in order to state compliance with ISSB Standards. (ifrs.org)

This approach is intended to balance two priorities:

  • the market need for better, more comparable nature-related financial disclosures; and
  • the implementation capacity of companies and jurisdictions that are still in the process of adopting and applying IFRS S1 and IFRS S2.

The ISSB is also seeking feedback on whether the proposals should ultimately be finalised as a Practice Statement or issued in another form, such as a Standard. (ifrs.org)

Building on TNFD and connecting nature with financial decision-making

The ISSB’s proposals draw extensively from the work of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), including the emphasis on location-specific information and interactions with Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities and affected stakeholders. The proposals also refer to the TNFD’s LEAP approach as one way companies may identify nature-related risks and opportunities, and allow companies to use TNFD disclosure metrics. (ifrs.org)

This is particularly important because nature-related financial risks are often location-specific and value-chain-specific. For example, companies may face risks related to water availability, land use, biodiversity impacts, ecosystem degradation, deforestation, pollution, supply-chain dependency or regulatory changes affecting nature-sensitive activities.

For investors, the central question is not only whether a company has an impact on nature, but how those impacts and dependencies translate into financial risks and opportunities. This requires companies to move from general environmental narratives to more structured analysis of:

  • where the company and its value chain interact with nature;
  • which business activities depend on ecosystem services;
  • which impacts or dependencies could create material risks or opportunities;
  • how these risks and opportunities affect strategy, operations, asset values, costs, revenues, financing and resilience; and
  • how the company governs, manages and discloses these issues in connection with financial reporting.

What companies should start doing now

Although the proposals are currently open for consultation, companies should not wait until requirements are finalised before building internal readiness. In our view, companies should begin with five practical steps.

  1. Map nature-related dependencies and impacts across operations and value chains

Companies should identify where their operations, assets, suppliers and key markets interact with nature. This includes assessing dependencies on water, soil, forests, biodiversity, pollination, land, marine resources and other ecosystem services.

  1. Identify financially material nature-related risks and opportunities

The next step is to translate nature-related dependencies and impacts into potential financial effects. This includes considering physical risks, transition risks, regulatory risks, market risks, litigation risks, supply-chain risks and opportunities linked to resource efficiency, circular models, product innovation or improved access to capital.

  1. Connect nature with climate and broader sustainability risks

Nature-related issues often overlap with climate-related risks. Water stress, land-use change, deforestation, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation can affect transition plans, physical risk exposure, adaptation strategies and resilience analysis. Companies applying IFRS S2 should therefore consider how nature-related information may affect climate-related disclosures.

  1. Review governance, risk management and internal data systems

Boards and management teams need to understand whether nature-related risks are being considered in strategy, risk management, capital allocation and reporting processes. Companies should also assess whether existing data systems can support location-specific and value-chain-level nature information.

  1. Participate in the consultation

The ISSB is seeking feedback from a broad range of stakeholders, including preparers, investors, advisers, standard-setters, regulators and other market participants. Feedback is requested on the decision-usefulness of the proposed disclosures, their relationship with IFRS S1 and IFRS S2, feasibility and cost, interoperability with GRI Standards and ESRS, and whether the Practice Statement is the most appropriate form. (ifrs.org)

The consultation is open until 19 February 2027.

How Alaya Consulting can support

As an ISSB Training Partner, Alaya Consulting supports companies and management teams in understanding and applying IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards.

Our work focuses on helping organisations translate sustainability topics into investor-relevant, financially connected disclosures. This includes board briefings, senior and mid-management training, gap assessments, disclosure readiness reviews and practical implementation support for IFRS S1 and IFRS S2.

For companies preparing for nature-related disclosure, we can support:

  • board and management briefings on the ISSB nature-related disclosure proposals;
  • training on the connection between IFRS S1, IFRS S2, TNFD and the proposed Practice Statement;
  • nature-related risk and opportunity identification workshops;
  • mapping of nature-related dependencies and impacts across operations and value chains;
  • integration of nature-related risks into enterprise risk management and disclosure processes;
  • linkage between nature-related risks, financial effects and scenario analysis;
  • preparation for consultation responses to the ISSB; and
  • development of practical disclosure roadmaps.

Since the launch of TCFD, our team has supported companies with climate-related disclosure, quantitative scenario analysis, Scope 3 accounting and science-based target setting. These capabilities are directly relevant as companies move from climate disclosure to broader sustainability-related financial disclosure, including nature-related risks and opportunities.

Call to action

Companies, investors and market participants should use this consultation period to understand the proposals, assess internal readiness and provide feedback to the ISSB.

The consultation closes on 19 February 2027. Stakeholders can review the Exposure Draft, Basis for Conclusions, Accompanying Guidance and Snapshot through the IFRS Foundation’s consultation page. (ifrs.org)

Nature-related disclosure is becoming part of the global baseline for sustainability-related financial reporting. The question for companies is no longer whether nature matters, but how nature-related risks and opportunities affect enterprise value, financial resilience and investor decision-making.