The International Sustainability Standards Board’s IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 have now been adopted or are in the process of being introduced in 40 jurisdictions whose economies collectively represent approximately 60% of global GDP, 40% of global market capitalisation, and 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The figures, confirmed in the IFRS Foundation’s February 2026 progress update, mark a decisive shift in the status of ISSB Standards: from a voluntary global baseline to a framework that is increasingly binding across the most significant economies in the world.
Requirements are already in force in 19 jurisdictions, and 17 have finalised their adoption approach. Key adopters include the UK, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, and Singapore. For companies with operations or investors across multiple jurisdictions, ISSB-aligned disclosure is no longer a forward-looking consideration — it is a current reporting obligation in a significant proportion of the markets they operate in. The 40+ adoption trajectory also signals a shift in the competitive landscape: companies that have structured disclosure around ISSB standards are building a globally portable reporting framework, while those that have not are beginning to face multiple, divergent national requirements.
The ISSB is now working on its next additions: a nature-related disclosure standard and a human capital standard. For companies aligning with CSRD and the EU’s ESRS framework, monitoring the convergence — and remaining divergence — between ESRS and ISSB requirements is increasingly important. The two frameworks are broadly compatible but not identical, and the assurance requirements they impose are moving on different timelines.
Sources: IFRS Foundation — ISSB Jurisdictional Progress Update, February 2026 Scaling the Standard 2026