ISSB update: why the ISSB’s TNFD move is a strategic tipping point

The latest announcement from the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) does for nature what the Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) did for climate. Mary Goldman, Principal Product Manager, Climate and Nature Risk Solutions at Risilience, explains why it’s time for nature to blossom on the business agenda.

On November 7, the world of sustainability reporting received a major nature announcement that cut through some of the gloomy sustainability background noise that has characterised much of 2025. The ISSB announced it will develop new nature-related disclosure requirements.

Critically, they won’t be starting from scratch. ISSB will be drawing directly on the framework already built by the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), including its LEAP[1] approach.

This is a technical update, but it’s also a powerful market signal. By aligning with the TNFD, the ISSB is mitigating risks associated with regulatory fragmentation (TNFD, ISSB, SBTN, CDP, CSRD and many more are in the mix). ISSB is amplifying and simplifying what is common sense to anyone with material nature dependencies operating a business in the global economy: nature-related risk is financial risk.

We’ve seen this exact playbook before. The TCFD framework for climate provided the blueprint for the ISSB’s climate standards, and now the TNFD is doing the same for nature.

What does this mean for businesses?

The message from standard setters is clear: do not wait. The TNFD itself has advised companies to continue assessing their nature-related issues and start reporting using the TNFD recommendations now, while the ISSB’s work continues.

Waiting for the final ISSB standards, likely in 2026 or 2027, will be too late. The market isn’t waiting. Investors are already factoring nature risk into decision making processes and the TNFD provides a sound basis for meeting those information needs today.

Although these standards are about reporting, the challenge isn’t just to report; it’s to build genuine business resilience in an era of increased volatility and unpredictability amidst climate and biodiversity collapse.

This alignment moves nature from a peripheral concern to a core strategic issue that is recognised within the ISSB reporting standards. It asks that companies dig deep into their operations and supply chains to understand complex dependencies and impacts on ecosystems.

This is a significant ask that many companies don’t have experience grappling with. That’s where a partner like Risilience becomes essential. Understanding these new demands and integrating them into core strategy is what separates leaders from laggards. Risilience’s expertise is in navigating this exact complexity. We are a team of specialists that turns what looks like a disclosure requirement into a strategic tool for building a more resilient, sustainable, and valuable enterprise.

The age of nature-related reporting is here, and the first movers already have a strategic advantage.

• Hear from the Risilience team at the online Responsible Supply Chain Conference, online, 17-18 November 2025. Catch the ‘Getting started with nature-related risk – understanding impact and financial materiality’ session on Monday 17 November at 12.00 GMT. Join the panel session ‘Approaches to visibility and traceability in responsible reporting’ on Tuesday 18 November at 12.00 GMT.

[1] The LEAP approach is a central component of the TNFD framework. It’s an acronym for Locate, Evaluate, Assess, and Prepare. This four-phase process guides organisations in identifying and managing their nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities, starting with locating their interface with nature and ending with preparing to respond and report.