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Home Disclosure Library IFRS / ISSB IFRS-S1 s1-46-48
IFRS-S1: IFRS S1 - General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information · 2024
Paragraphs 46–48

Metrics for each sustainability-related risk and opportunity

Practical guidance for preparing this disclosure. Use this card to identify datapoints, verify claims and organise supporting evidence. For exact requirements, always refer to the official IFRS source.

Dr Ross Kurinko, Sustainability Reporting Trainer
Reviewed by Dr Ross Kurinko · Sustainability Reporting Trainer LRA educational guidance · Not issued or endorsed by IFRS
To prepare this disclosure
Disclosure focus

This disclosure asks an organisation to report the metrics it uses to track each sustainability-related risk and opportunity that it has identified. In practice, that means explaining the measures, indicators or calculations that are most relevant to how the organisation monitors performance, exposure or progress for each issue, rather than giving only a general narrative.

The practical focus is on using metrics that are meaningful for the business and applied consistently enough to show what is happening across the organisation. Coverage should be considered across the relevant parts of the business, not just a few flagship sites or isolated examples, so readers can understand the scale and spread of the risk or opportunity being measured.

This LRA educational guidance supports disclosure preparation. For the exact requirements, always refer to the official IFRS source.

Before you start

A quick mental checklist before you prepare this disclosure — tick each as you settle it.

Preparation

Key datapoints to prepare

Datapoint What to capture Evidence hint Owner
IFRS metrics used List the IFRS-linked measures the entity has used for this disclosure, so the reader can see which finance-reporting metrics were brought in. Cross-check against the finance reporting pack, disclosure mapping, and any metric register used by reporting teams. Finance reporting
Selection basis Explain how the entity chose the measures it uses when no named standard applies, including the rationale for that choice. Keep the selection note, internal methodology paper, or approval memo that records why those measures were chosen. Sustainability reporting
Company-specific metrics Capture the measures the entity has designed for its own monitoring, including the exact definitions used internally. Use the internal KPI catalogue, management reporting pack, or metric definitions approved by the business. Performance management
Industry metrics used State whether the entity has used sector-based measures in the disclosure, and identify which ones were included. Check the disclosure checklist, sector metric library, and the final report draft for the yes/no flag and named measures. Sustainability reporting
Reported performance measures Capture the measures used to show performance, with enough detail to identify the exact metric and reporting basis. Reconcile to the performance dashboard, management pack, and published report tables for the final metric set. Performance management
+ Show s1-46-48 sub-elements (LRA working checklist)

How to prepare it

1Set the reporting boundary first. Decide which parts of the business, operations and value chain are in scope for the measures you will report, so the same boundary is used consistently across the pack.
2Work out what each measure means in your organisation. For any metric tied to a named reporting source, use that source as the basis; where no named source fits, record the logic you used to choose the measure and why it is the right one for your circumstances.
3Gather the support for every figure or narrative. Pull together source files, calculations, assumptions, system extracts and sign-offs so each reported item can be traced back to evidence.
4Prepare the reported outputs in the right form. Some items will be numerical measures, while others will be explanatory text; make sure the final presentation matches the type of information being reported and is internally consistent.
5Record anything you left out or changed. If a measure is not included, or if the way it is calculated, selected or presented has changed, note the reason and the nature of the change clearly enough for a reviewer to follow.
6Check the draft against the official source before sign-off. Confirm that the measures you have used are the ones required or selected, that the evidence is complete, and that your wording and calculations still match the underlying source material.
Request the data

Request the metrics pack from Finance

Translate the disclosure into an internal business question — then adapt it to your organisation's own language.

What measures are we using to track each sustainability-related risk or opportunity, and what is the basis for each measure?

Use your organisation’s own reporting and performance terms first, then map them to the disclosure. Ask for the measures the business already tracks, the source they come from, and the reason each one was chosen. Do not use framework wording with the owner unless that is how they already speak internally.

Weak request

Please provide the sustainability metrics required for the disclosure, including the applicable metrics, the basis for selection where no specific standard applies, entity-specific monitoring metrics, industry-based metrics used, and performance metrics.

Why it fails: This uses framework language that many operational owners will not recognise, so it is harder to action. It also does not say which business issue the measures relate to, what source to pull from, or what practical evidence is needed to support the figures and the reason they were chosen.

Better request

Please send the measures your team already uses to track [risk/opportunity name] for [period], with the source file/system, calculation method, and a short note on why each measure is used. If you have both standard business KPIs and team-specific measures, include both and identify the main management view.

Formal email template
Subject: Request for the metrics pack for [reporting period]

Hello [name],

We are preparing the sustainability reporting pack and need the measures your team uses to track [risk/opportunity name] for [reporting period]. Please send the current data and a short note on how each measure is built and why it is used.

Please include:
- the metric name in your own team’s language
- the reporting period and boundary covered
- the source system or file
- the calculation basis or method
- whether the measure is a standard business KPI, a sector benchmark, or a team-specific measure
- any linked target, threshold, or management trigger
- the evidence file or report link

If you have more than one measure for the same issue, please include all of them and note which one is the main management view.

Please send this by [date]. We will map the wording to the reporting disclosure and check the source before sign-off.

Many thanks,
[preparer name]
Short Teams / Slack version
Hi [name] — could you send the current metrics for [risk/opportunity name] for [period]? Please include the metric names you use, the source file/system, how each one is calculated, and why it is the right measure. If there are several, send all and flag the main one. Thanks.
Industry examples
Manufacturing

Context. A plant team tracks energy exposure, downtime, and scrap rates in separate operational reports.

Adapted request. Please send the plant metrics you use for [energy cost exposure / production disruption] for [period], including the KPI names, the line or site covered, the source report, the calculation method, and why each KPI is used by management.

Example response. Returned pack includes site name, KPI name, current month value, year-to-date value, unit, source report, calculation basis, and a note that downtime is the main management measure while scrap rate is a supporting indicator.

Retail / Consumer

Context. A trading team monitors customer demand shifts, stock availability, and margin pressure through weekly dashboards.

Adapted request. Please send the trading measures you use for [customer demand shift / supply disruption] for [period], including the dashboard name, the store or channel boundary, how each measure is calculated, and the reason it is the main measure for the issue.

Example response. Returned pack includes channel, metric name, weekly value, period covered, dashboard link, calculation basis, and a note that sell-through rate is the primary measure, with stock-out rate as a supporting measure.

Draft your disclosure

Notes that turn data into a disclosure

LRA training templates — adapt them to your organisation, and check the official source before sign-off.

Method note

Start by explaining how each measure was chosen, including the basis used when no named reporting rule applies, and make clear whether it comes from the framework, the entity’s own monitoring, or sector practice.

Context note

Set out what the chosen measures are intended to show about performance, so readers can understand how the numbers relate to the business’s reporting approach and decision-making.

Fluctuation statement

If any measure changes materially, explain whether that is due to a different selection basis, a revised internal monitoring approach, or a shift in the measures used for reporting.

Content index entry
s1-46-48 Metrics for each sustainability-related risk and opportunity — [location / page] / [notes]
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Preparation tools & forms

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Assurance readiness

For each claim, check the evidence

ClaimRiskEvidence to check
We built the coverage figure from the set of metrics we identified as relevant to the disclosed risks and opportunities, and we checked whether any external reporting rules already told us which measures to use.An assurer will probe whether the team missed a required measure, or included one that was not actually applicable to the issue being reported.Metric inventory or mapping paper; list of relevant risks and opportunities; cross-reference to external reporting requirements; working papers showing why each measure was included or excluded.
Where no dedicated reporting rule existed for a topic, we chose the measure using the same internal basis we apply when deciding what information best tracks the issue and its movement over time.The assurer may question whether the selection basis was applied consistently, or whether the chosen measure was arbitrary or biased toward a favourable result.Selection memo; internal methodology note; prior-period papers showing consistent application; approval trail for the chosen measure; rationale for any changes from earlier periods.
For the disclosed operations, we included the internal monitoring measures that management actually uses to track the issue, rather than building the figure only for publication.The assurer will test whether the reported measure is genuinely used in management reporting, or was created solely for the disclosure.Management reports, dashboards or KPIs; meeting packs; evidence of regular review by management; links between internal reporting and the published figure.
We also used sector-relevant measures where they matched the way our business is organised and the activities we carry out.The assurer may ask whether the sector measure really fits the entity’s business model and operating profile, or whether a more relevant measure was overlooked.Sector metric mapping; explanation of fit to business activities; industry guidance used by the preparer; evidence of review and sign-off on the chosen sector measure.
For progress against our own targets or any target we must meet under law, we prepared the performance figure from the same source data used in our tracking files and checked it against the target baseline before publication.The assurer will look for errors in the progress calculation, inconsistent source data, or a mismatch between the published figure and the target baseline.Target register; baseline calculation; source data extracts; reconciliation to the published figure; calculation workbook; evidence of review, challenge and approval before release.

Evidence pack to prepare

Common reporting gaps

The information is presented without a date or as-at point.The scope or boundary of the statement is left undefined.Key terms are used inconsistently across the report.Material changes since the previous period are not disclosed.Assertions are made without supporting detail or a source record.Boilerplate is used that does not actually answer what is asked.
Common gaps

Mistakes to avoid when collecting the data

Wrong owner asked
The team chases the sustainability lead for figures that sit with finance, operations, HR, or risk, so the first data request goes to someone who does not hold the source records.
Framework terms used too early
People ask for the data using disclosure language instead of the organisation’s own operational labels, and the right dataset is missed because staff do not recognise what is being requested.
Scope not pinned down
The request does not say which business units, sites, or activities are in scope, so different teams send numbers from different parts of the organisation that cannot be compared.
+ Show 7 more

Where judgement is often needed

Set the reporting perimeter after buy-sell changes
If a business has been bought or sold during the period, state whether the figures cover the old group, the new group, or a like-for-like view, and explain the cut-off used so readers can see what changed.
Choose one country rule when local definitions differ
Where the same measure is defined differently across countries, pick one basis for the group, apply it consistently, and explain the local differences that were bridged or excluded.
Decide how to treat sites or teams on the boundary
For operations, assets, workers, customers, or suppliers that sit partly inside and partly outside the scope, explain the inclusion rule used and whether any borderline cases were counted, split, or left out.
+ Show 6 more
Examples

Illustrative examples

Synthetic, written by LRA — not from a company report, not text from any standard.

Illustrative (synthetic) example — manufacturing

We report the measures that the relevant IFRS sustainability rules ask for, and where no sector rule exists we explain why we chose our own indicators. For our manufacturing group, that includes energy use, water withdrawals, waste sent for disposal, and workplace safety rates, alongside our own plant-level downtime and defect-rate tracking. - We also use sector-style measures on emissions intensity and resource efficiency to compare sites, and we show the year-on-year movement in each key performance measure against our 2025 baseline. - In this illustration, total recordable injuries were 18, of which 6 led to lost time, so the lost-time share was 33% (6/18).

This example shows how a reporter can combine required sustainability measures with its own chosen indicators, while explaining the basis for any company-specific selection and presenting performance movement in plain language.

Illustrative (synthetic) example — financial services

We set out the sustainability measures that apply under the IFRS framework, then explain the extra indicators we chose because no specific rule covered the topic we were tracking. For our financial services group, that means financed-emissions data, portfolio alignment, customer complaint trends, and our own cyber-incident and staff-training measures. - We also include industry-style indicators for credit quality and client retention, and we describe how each measure helps us monitor delivery of our sustainability objectives. - In this illustration, we handled 240 customer complaints in total, and 36 related to digital access, so that category made up 15% (36/240).

This example shows a different type of reporter using the required framework measures, adding its own monitoring metrics where needed, and linking industry-style indicators to internal performance tracking.

Company reportsReal published reports
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How companies report s1-46-48

Real reports where this topic is disclosed. These are report practice, not exact disclosure templates to copy.

SITC International Holdings Company Limited
Water Transportation · Hong Kong · 2025
Open report →
SITC International Holdings Company Limited’s 2025 Environmental, Social and Governance Report includes reported values for applicable IFRS required metrics on page 191 and uses industry-based metrics such as metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions to assess costs, as noted on page 197. The report references sustainability-related risks and opportunities and mentions monitoring progress towards targets on page 187, but does not clearly disclose specific performance metrics. There is no evidence found regarding the basis for selection where no specific standard applies or entity-specific monitoring metrics.
MTR Corporation
Ground Transportation — Railroads · Hong Kong · 2025
Open report →
MTR Corporation’s Sustainability Report 2025 includes some contextual references to entity-specific monitoring metrics on page 9, mentioning materiality thresholds based on their risk management framework, and to performance metrics on page 23, noting ongoing development of KPI establishment and management processes. The report also directs readers to its sustainability website for detailed climate-related disclosures and policies (p.80), and references nature-related disclosures and metrics on page 94 and biodiversity data integration on page 98. However, the report does not provide clear or specific disclosures on applicable IFRS-required metrics, the basis for metric selection when no standard applies, or the use of industry-based metrics.
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Scenarios to work through

A manufacturer has one climate-related supply risk and one water-efficiency opportunity. The team has a sector benchmark for the climate risk, but the water opportunity is being tracked with an internal yield measure because no sector measure fits well.

QHow should the preparer decide what to include for each item, and what evidence should sit behind the choice?
Reveal model answer →

A retailer reports a labour-supply risk using a staff turnover rate and a training completion rate. The sustainability team also tracks a bespoke absenteeism indicator, but it is not yet used in management reporting.

QShould the preparer include the bespoke indicator as part of the reported measures for that risk?
Reveal model answer →

A mining group has a biodiversity-related opportunity and uses a mix of sector measures and an internal restoration scorecard. The scorecard was built by the sustainability team, but the finance team is unsure whether it is too bespoke to mention.

QHow should the preparer treat the internal scorecard in the disclosure?
Reveal model answer →

A services company has two material sustainability matters: one is tracked with a sector measure, the other with a custom client-retention metric. The draft note lists the measures, but it does not say which ones are sector-based and which are internal, and it gives no explanation for the custom metric.

QWhat should the preparer do before sign-off?
Reveal model answer →
Framework references

Related framework references

How this disclosure maps across the major reporting frameworks.

IFRS / ISSB
s1-46-48
within IFRS-S1: IFRS S1 - General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information
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FAQ

Questions this page answers

For IFRS S1 s1-46-48, what data do I need to gather before I start drafting the disclosure page?+
How do I use the step-by-step 'how to prepare' section for s1-46-48 in practice?+
What should I include in the evidence pack for IFRS S1 s1-46-48 if I want to be assurance-ready?+
What are the common reporting gaps or mistakes to watch for on s1-46-48?+
How do I assign ownership for the data behind IFRS S1 s1-46-48?+
Can I use the synthetic example disclosures on the s1-46-48 page as a template for my own draft?+
What does the draft-output section give me for IFRS S1 s1-46-48?+
Where do I find the workbook and printable card for s1-46-48, and what are they for?+
How do I use the 'From company reports' table on the s1-46-48 page?+
Is there a cross-framework link for IFRS S1 s1-46-48, and can I reuse data for ESRS?+
More questions this page can help with