The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) is set to host a complimentary online workshop focused on the implementation of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Sustainability Disclosure Standards. This event will take place on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
This workshop is organized in partnership with the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative (UN SSE), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the IFRS Foundation. The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) released its Sustainability Standards in June 2023, which includes IFRS S1, outlining “General Requirements for Sustainability-related Financial Information,” and IFRS S2, which covers “Climate-related Disclosures.” These standards establish a new global benchmark for corporate sustainability disclosures to capital markets. The event is open to the public, and individuals interested in participating can register via the CSE website.
Attendees will have the chance to engage directly with experts from the IFRS Foundation and UN SSE, who are responsible for developing the sustainability disclosure standards. The interactive workshop will feature a Q&A segment and provide a comprehensive overview of the subject matter. This forum is particularly beneficial for corporations, ensuring that report preparers, organizational supervisors, and personnel outside of the reporting sphere are well-acquainted with the ISSB Standards. Participants will engage in sessions that cover governance and leadership, strategic development and implementation, risk management, finance and accounting, as well as sustainability and climate strategies. By the end of the workshop, attendees will be equipped to enhance their existing resources related to sustainability disclosures, implement the ISSB Standard in accordance with global benchmarks and sector-specific regulatory requirements, and prepare reports that disclose sustainability-related information.
Sri Lanka is among the first 17 jurisdictions to adopt the ISSB Standards, having introduced localized versions known as SLFRS S1 and SLFRS S2, which became effective on January 1, 2025. The phased implementation of these standards will take place between 2025 and 2030, accommodating businesses of varying sizes. Starting in 2025, the first 100 listed companies on the CSE, ranked by market capitalization as of January 1, 2025, will be required to adhere to the new sustainability standards. This mandate will extend to all listed entities on the Main Board of the CSE beginning on or after January 1, 2026. By 2027, compliance with the standards will be necessary for all listed entities on the CSE, with the exception of those listed on the Empower Board, starting from financial years that begin on or after January 1, 2027.
The training materials were developed collaboratively by the UN SSE, IFRS Foundation, and IFC, as part of an integrated Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) program in partnership with Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Source: Financial Chronicle Biz English | Sri Lanka Business News.
