IOSCO (International Organization of Securities Commissions)

Global forum for securities regulators, promoting consistent, reliable sustainability reporting.
Reach: 130+ jurisdictions, 95% of world’s securities markets[1][5][7][9].

Member Jurisdictions

130+

Covers 95% of global securities markets[1][5][7]

Founded

1983

Global securities regulation[1][9]

ISSB Standards Endorsed

2023

IFRS S1 & S2, global baseline for sustainability[5][7][9]

Ethics & Assurance

2025

Endorsed IESBA’s global ethics standard for sustainability assurance[2][3][6][8]

IOSCO’s Sustainability Reporting Priorities

Priority	Description	2025 Status
Global Baseline Standards	Endorsed ISSB S1/S2, calls for adoption or alignment by regulators	Active[5][7][9]
Assurance & Ethics	Endorsed IESBA’s global ethics standard (IESSA) for sustainability assurance	Active[2][3][6][8]
Capacity Building	GEMC network and training for emerging markets on ISSB adoption	Active[1][7]
Investor Protection	Focus on financial materiality, auditability, and comparability	Ongoing[1][5][6][9]
Interoperability	Promotes alignment with EU CSRD, GRI, US SEC, and other frameworks	Ongoing[5][7][9]

IOSCO and Sustainability Reporting Timeline

Year	Milestone	Status
2020	Prioritizes global sustainability reporting convergence	Active[9]
2021	Supports creation of ISSB under IFRS Foundation	Complete[5][9]
2023	Endorses ISSB S1/S2 as global baseline standards	Complete[5][7][9]
2024	Launches GEMC network for ISSB adoption in emerging markets	Active[7]
2025	Endorses IESBA’s global ethics/assurance standard for sustainability reporting	Complete[2][3][6][8]

ISSB Adoption by IOSCO Jurisdictions (2025, est.)

Number of IOSCO member jurisdictions adopting or aligning with ISSB standards (2025).

IOSCO Integration and Influence

Global baseline: Endorsed ISSB S1/S2, calls for regulatory adoption worldwide[5][7][9]
Assurance & ethics: Endorsed IESBA’s IESSA, promotes high-quality, reliable sustainability assurance[2][3][6][8]
Capacity building: GEMC network, technical support for emerging markets[1][7]
Investor protection: Focus on financial materiality, auditability, and comparability[1][5][6][9]
Interoperability: Promotes alignment with EU CSRD, GRI, SEC, and other frameworks[5][7][9]

About IOSCO and Global Sustainability Reporting

IOSCO is the global forum for securities regulators, representing 130+ jurisdictions and over 95% of the world’s securities markets[1][5][7][9]. IOSCO’s endorsement of the ISSB’s IFRS S1/S2 standards and IESBA’s global ethics/assurance framework has made it the central driver of consistent, reliable, and investor-focused sustainability reporting worldwide[2][3][5][6][7][8][9]. Through capacity building, regulatory guidance, and advocacy for interoperability, IOSCO bridges investor protection, market integrity, and sustainability disclosure in global capital markets.

Note: All data reflects official IOSCO, ISSB, IESBA, and industry updates as of May 2025.

IOSCO (International Organization of Securities Commissions)

IOSCO (International Organization of Securities Commissions)

Countries: 130+ member jurisdictions
Function: Promotes adoption of consistent sustainability reporting frameworks for global capital markets

The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) is the leading global forum for securities market regulators, representing more than 130 member jurisdictions and covering over 95 percent of the world's securities markets. Founded in 1983, IOSCO’s primary mission is to develop, implement, and promote adherence to internationally recognized standards for securities regulation, with the goal of protecting investors, ensuring fair, efficient, and transparent markets, and reducing systemic risk.

In the context of sustainability, IOSCO has emerged as a pivotal body shaping the evolution of global sustainability disclosure standards. Recognizing that inconsistent ESG reporting frameworks fragmented capital markets, IOSCO formally prioritized the development of a globally consistent, comparable, and reliable sustainability reporting system as a strategic regulatory objective beginning in 2020.

Key sustainability-related contributions of IOSCO include:

Promotion of global baseline standards: IOSCO endorsed the establishment of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) under the IFRS Foundation to create a set of investor-focused sustainability disclosure standards. IOSCO acts as a bridge between the ISSB and securities regulators, advocating for jurisdictions to adopt or align with ISSB standards as the foundational global baseline.
Market integrity and investor protection: IOSCO emphasizes that sustainability-related information is financially material for investor decision-making and systemic risk management. The absence of standardized disclosures creates information asymmetries, mispricing of risk, and potential greenwashing, which undermine market integrity. Consistent sustainability reporting is therefore framed not merely as a corporate governance issue, but as essential to the health of global capital markets.
Regulatory guidance and capacity building: IOSCO provides guidance for national regulators on how to incorporate sustainability disclosures into their existing financial reporting frameworks. It also conducts capacity-building initiatives, particularly for emerging markets, to ensure that all jurisdictions can participate in and benefit from the global transition toward standardized sustainability reporting.
Review and endorsement process: In July 2023, IOSCO formally endorsed the ISSB’s inaugural standards, IFRS S1 and IFRS S2, after a comprehensive review. IOSCO called on its member jurisdictions to consider ways to adopt, apply, or be informed by these standards within their regulatory frameworks, marking a critical milestone in global sustainability disclosure convergence.

IOSCO’s strategic role is unique because it does not set mandatory laws itself; rather, it provides regulatory coordination, technical expertise, and international consensus-building among national securities regulators. Its recommendations strongly influence the regulatory priorities and standard-setting activities of bodies such as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the Financial Services Agency of Japan (FSA), and others.

Key characteristics of IOSCO’s sustainability work include:

Focus on financial materiality and investor protection
Promotion of interoperability between global, regional, and national sustainability disclosure frameworks
Advocacy for proportionality and scalability to accommodate both developed and emerging markets
Emphasis on auditability, reliability, and assurance of sustainability disclosures

Through its leadership, IOSCO has elevated sustainability disclosure to a central concern of financial regulation, bridging the worlds of ESG reporting, securities law, systemic risk oversight, and capital formation.