ISSB Adoption Timeline: Which Countries Have Mandated IFRS S1/S2 Reporting?

How Does ISSB Adoption Actually Work?

The ISSB operates on an endorsement model, the same approach long used for IFRS Accounting Standards. The ISSB publishes the standard; individual jurisdictions then choose whether to require it, permit voluntary use, adapt it into a local equivalent, or take no action. This is why the global picture reads as a patchwork of progress rather than a single rollout date, and why the pace of adoption differs by region, by type of entity (listed vs. private, financial vs. non-financial), and by whether a jurisdiction already had an established climate disclosure regime to build on.

What Is the General Global Trend?

Since the standards were issued in 2023, a growing number of jurisdictions across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America have begun endorsing or phasing in IFRS S1/S2 — or sustainability disclosure standards closely modeled on the ISSB baseline — through their own securities regulators, central banks, or stock exchanges. This reflects the broader intent behind the ISSB's creation: to give jurisdictions that lacked an established sustainability disclosure regime a ready-made, investor-grade baseline they can adopt rather than building one from scratch.

Some jurisdictions are adopting IFRS S1/S2 as part of a phased rollout — starting with the largest listed companies and financial institutions, then extending to smaller entities over subsequent reporting cycles. The specific phase-in years, thresholds, and entity categories vary materially by jurisdiction and should always be confirmed against the current rule in force before a company relies on any particular date.

Why Do Some Jurisdictions Move Faster Than Others?

Adoption speed tends to track a few structural factors:

• Existing disclosure infrastructure. Jurisdictions that already required TCFD-aligned reporting, or had developed strong local climate disclosure rules, generally have a shorter path to IFRS S2 adoption because the underlying data and governance processes are already partly in place.
• Capital markets integration. Jurisdictions competing for international capital have direct incentive to offer investors an ISSB-aligned baseline that is comparable to what investors see in other major markets.
• Regulatory capacity. Building the technical guidance, assurance infrastructure, and enforcement capability to support a new disclosure standard takes institutional resourcing, which varies by jurisdiction.
• Relationship to existing regional frameworks. Jurisdictions already implementing a framework such as the EU's CSRD/ESRS approach IFRS S1/S2 adoption differently than jurisdictions starting from a blank slate — often focusing on interoperability rather than parallel adoption. See IFRS S1/S2 vs CSRD/ESRS: Key Differences for Multinational Reporters for that specific comparison.

What Should a Multinational Reporting Team Track?

Rather than trying to memorize a static list of country dates — which will shift as more regulators act — reporting teams benefit from a standing process that:

• Identifies every jurisdiction relevant to the group (incorporation, listing, major subsidiaries).
• Checks current adoption status and any proposed timeline in each jurisdiction on a regular cycle.
• Distinguishes between jurisdictions where IFRS S1/S2 is mandatory, voluntary, or not yet addressed.
• Flags jurisdictions moving toward adoption so the reporting program can get ahead of new obligations rather than reacting to them.

This tracking process is a natural companion to the scope assessment described in Who Must Comply with IFRS S1/S2? Scope and Adoption Timeline by Jurisdiction, and both feed directly into the broader picture of what is changing across the ISSB landscape covered in ISSB Standards in 2026: What's Changing in Global Sustainability Disclosure.

How Semtrio Supports Jurisdictional Tracking

Semtrio's IFRS S1/S2 advisory service maintains ongoing visibility into adoption developments across the jurisdictions our clients operate in, so that scope assessments and disclosure programs are built against current rules rather than outdated assumptions.

Semtrio Note: Semtrio's IFRS Sustainability Alliance membership provides direct access to ISSB jurisdictional adoption updates as they are published, which our advisory team incorporates into client scope assessments on an ongoing basis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did every country adopt IFRS S1/S2 starting 1 January 2024?

No. That date is the ISSB's recommended effective date, not a global legal mandate. Actual mandatory dates depend entirely on when each jurisdiction's own regulator adopts the standards.

Why do adoption timelines differ so much between jurisdictions?

Differences stem from each jurisdiction's existing disclosure infrastructure, regulatory capacity, capital markets priorities, and whether it already has an established climate reporting regime such as TCFD-aligned rules or a regional framework like CSRD/ESRS.

Are jurisdictions adopting IFRS S1/S2 exactly as issued?

Some adopt the ISSB standards directly; others adapt them into a jurisdiction-specific standard closely modeled on the ISSB baseline. The precise approach depends on the individual regulator.

How can a multinational company stay current on adoption status across its markets?

By maintaining an ongoing jurisdictional tracking process that checks adoption status regularly across every relevant jurisdiction, rather than relying on a one-time assessment.

Is IFRS S1/S2 adoption still happening, or is the global picture settled?

Adoption is an active, ongoing process. Additional jurisdictions continue to move toward endorsement or phase-in, which is why standing monitoring is more reliable than a fixed list.

If you need an accurate, current read on IFRS S1/S2 adoption status across the jurisdictions relevant to your organization, Semtrio's advisory team can prepare a jurisdictional tracking brief specific to your group. Contact Semtrio to begin.