SASB Standards (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board)
The SASB Standards identify the sustainability topics most likely to affect financial performance in 77 industries, and pair each topic with disclosure metrics. Originally published by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, they have been owned and maintained by the ISSB since 2022, and IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 require companies to refer to and consider them.
The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board was founded in the US in 2011 to write industry-specific sustainability disclosure standards for investors. Where general frameworks ask every company the same questions, the SASB Standards ask a steel producer about energy intensity and air quality, and a software company about data privacy and energy use in data centers. There is one standard for each of 77 industries, each with a short list of disclosure topics and the metrics to report against them.
SASB merged with the International Integrated Reporting Council in 2021 to form the Value Reporting Foundation, which the IFRS Foundation absorbed in August 2022. The ISSB has owned, maintained, and enhanced the SASB Standards since then. In December 2023 it amended them to remove references tied to US regulation and US GAAP so that they work in any jurisdiction.
The SASB Standards matter under the ISSB standards because IFRS S1 requires a company to refer to and consider their applicability when identifying sustainability-related risks and opportunities and the metrics it discloses. IFRS S2 does the same for the industry-based disclosure topics and metrics in its Industry-based Guidance, which derives from the SASB Standards. A company can conclude that a given SASB metric does not apply to it, but it has to have looked and be able to say so.
The UK is the one large adopter to have softened this. UK SRS S1 and S2 changed "shall refer to and consider" to "may refer to and consider", making the industry-based work optional for UK reporters.
For a company preparing for ISSB-based reporting, the practical step is to pull the SASB Standard for its industry alongside the IFRS S2 Industry-based Guidance, record which topics and metrics apply, and add the resulting data points to its collection plan.
Frequently asked questions
What are the SASB Standards? +
The SASB Standards are industry-specific sustainability disclosure standards covering 77 industries. Each identifies the sustainability topics most likely to affect financial performance in that industry and the metrics to report against them. The ISSB has owned and maintained them since 2022.
Are the SASB Standards mandatory under ISSB? +
Does SASB still exist? +
Not as a separate organization. SASB merged into the Value Reporting Foundation in 2021, which the IFRS Foundation absorbed in 2022. The SASB Standards continue under ISSB ownership and are updated by the ISSB.
Related terms
GRI Standards (Global Reporting Initiative)
The GRI Standards are the most widely used framework for voluntary sustainability reporting. Published by the Global Reporting Initiative, they ask a company to report on its most significant impacts on the economy, environment, and people, and they set out the disclosures to make for each material topic, including greenhouse gas emissions under GRI 305.
ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board)
The ISSB is a body under the IFRS Foundation that issues global sustainability disclosure standards. IFRS S1 (General Requirements) and IFRS S2 (Climate-related Disclosures) set the baseline for sustainability reporting worldwide, designed for investor-focused, financially material disclosures.
IFRS S1 (General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information)
IFRS S1 is the ISSB's general sustainability disclosure standard, issued in June 2023. It sets the rules that apply to every sustainability topic a company reports on: which risks and opportunities to cover, how to organize the disclosure around governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets, and how the disclosure must connect to financial statements.
IFRS S2 (Climate-related Disclosures)
IFRS S2 is the ISSB's climate disclosure standard, issued in June 2023 alongside IFRS S1. It fully incorporates the TCFD recommendations and adds what TCFD left optional: scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions measured under the GHG Protocol, quantified financial effects of climate risks, climate resilience assessment, and industry-based metrics derived from the SASB Standards.
UK SRS (UK Sustainability Reporting Standards)
The UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS) are the UK's endorsed versions of the ISSB's IFRS S1 and S2 sustainability disclosure standards, published by the Department for Business and Trade on February 25, 2026. UK SRS S1 covers general sustainability-related financial disclosure and UK SRS S2 covers climate. Both are voluntary as published, with the FCA proposing the first mandate for listed companies from 2027.
Materiality Assessment
A materiality assessment is a structured process for identifying and prioritizing the sustainability topics most relevant to an organization and its stakeholders. Under CSRD, it specifically refers to the double materiality assessment (DMA) that determines which ESRS topics require full disclosure.
ESG Reporting
ESG reporting is the disclosure of an organization's performance across environmental (E), social (S), and governance (G) dimensions. It encompasses GHG emissions, water and waste management, labor practices, diversity, board structure, ethics, and risk management — providing stakeholders with a holistic view of sustainability performance.