How SASB aims to keep its standards relevant

The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) has reportedly seen the number of companies using its standards double since late 2018. Its lead analyst caught up with IR Magazine and Corporate Secretary to outline how the group will keep its guidelines up to date.

Speaking at the ESG Integration Forum – US 2019, Anton Gorodniuk outlined the two committees – the standards advisory group and the standards board – that SASB regularly solicits feedback from.

‘Of course, the market is ever-evolving and we really want to make sure that the standards stay relevant,’ Gorodniuk said. ‘Therefore, last year we formed a standards advisory group, which is represented [two-thirds by] companies and one-third [by] investors and subject matter experts, so that we can continue to get input on the content of the standards.’

According to SASB’s website, the standards advisory group provides feedback on the implementation and relevance of the existing standards.

Beyond this, Gorodniuk said the standards board plays a leading role in implementing potential changes to the existing standards. The group met during the first week of December.

‘We had our standards board meeting, where we put a few projects on the standard-setting agenda,’ Gorodniuk said. ‘Those projects include a review of the human capital framework, looking at how internet platforms deal with content moderation, and some more specific and technical issues around metals and mining, and systemic risk in the asset management industry.’

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