From Sustainability to Resilience: Key Themes from the IFRS Sustainability Symposium

Sodali & Co attended the IFRS Sustainability Symposium in London on October 30th, where global stakeholders gathered to explore the future of sustainability reporting. The event marked a clear shift in tone—from sustainability to resilience, from compliance to strategy—and highlighted the practical steps companies must take to prepare for the next phase of disclosure standards.

KEY THEMES

Resilience as the New Lens for Sustainability

The quest to find the right language continues. From CSR, to ESG, to sustainability, resilience emerged as the new way to think about sustainability. Across sessions, resilience was viewed as being essential for navigating geopolitical uncertainty, understanding business dependencies, risks and opportunities, and driving long-term value. The message was clear: sustainability reporting must focus on what truly matters to business models, not on ticking boxes.

Interoperability: A Passport and Visa Approach 

A major theme was the alignment between the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (ISSB). The ISSB standards were described as a “passport”—a global baseline—while jurisdiction-specific requirements act as “visas” tailored to local contexts. Stakeholders from both the EFRAG and ISSB confirmed that the goal is to streamline reporting, reduce duplication and enable companies to produce a single, coherent report that satisfies both global and regional expectations.

Connected Information: Driving Value Through Disclosure 

The importance of connected information—linking financial and sustainability disclosures—was highlighted as key to enabling investors to assess business’ future risks and opportunities. While financial statements reflect past performance, sustainability disclosures offer insight into future value drivers. Investors shared that they typically focus on a small set of core metrics, with current and anticipated financial effects often being the most critical. The call to action for report preparers: ensure consistency across reports and avoid diluting the quantitative rigor that investors rely on.

Enhancing Industry-Specific Disclosures 

Discussions also addressed the need to revise industry-specific standards, such as those developed by Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), to improve relevance and quality. While voluntary adoption of the SASB standards remains strong, participants emphasized the importance of integrating new metrics, such as those related to the impacts of technologies like AI on business’ energy consumption or data security performance. Disclosures should serve as a prompt for strategic reflection and improvement, with Boards and Management identified as key beneficiaries of robust reporting frameworks.

Preparing for ISSB Adoption 

Companies were urged to begin preparing for ISSB adoption, regardless of pending jurisdictional mandates such as the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (SRS). Stakeholders shared that effective implementation requires strong collaboration between finance and sustainability teams, with reporting seen as an outcome of strategic integration rather than a compliance exercise. The shift toward strategy and value creation was seen as a positive evolution in the reporting landscape.

Conclusion 

As global sustainability standards converge, companies that embrace interoperability, clarity, and early adoption will be best positioned to lead. The focus is shifting from reporting as a regulatory exercise to reporting as a strategic tool. Now is the time to integrate financial and sustainability data, streamline disclosures, and prepare for a future where resilience is the benchmark of success.

Sodali & Co is here to support your journey. Whether you're just starting or refining your approach, we offer tailored guidance to help you implement IFRS standards effectively and turn regulatory readiness into strategic advantage. Reach out to us at info@sodali.com.