AIoD and UN SSE Co-Host Landmark COP17 Event Featuring ISSB and GRI Leadership on Nature Reporting

YEREVAN, ARMENIA — The Armenian Institute of Directors (AIoD), in partnership with the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges (UN SSE) Initiative, successfully co-hosted the exclusive COP17 side event, "From Disclosure to Decision: Board Oversight of Information on Nature and Sustainability." The gathering convened global standard setters, board directors, and governance experts to address how corporate boards can transition from compliance-driven reporting to strategic decision-making.

A major highlight of the event was a historic fireside chat featuring Sue Lloyd, Vice-Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), and Susanne Stormer, Chair of the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB) at the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Hosted by the UN SSE and AIoD, the session focused on how corporate boards can build the necessary capabilities to assess their company’s dependencies and impacts on nature, as well as the consequential financial risks and opportunities.

Advancing a Unified Global Reporting System Central to the discussion was the critical importance of nature reporting and the deepening cooperation across the global sustainability landscape. The dialogue underscored the enduring commitment of the IFRS Foundation and GRI to support greater clarity and efficiency for organizations applying both ISSB and GRI Standards—a collaboration formalized in May 2024 and recently strengthened through an updated joint commitment in May 2026.

The session clarified the complementary nature of the two frameworks, which together enable a seamless and comprehensive reporting system:

• GRI Standards empower entities to provide stakeholders, including investors, with material information regarding their most significant impacts on the economy, the environment, and people, highlighting their contributions to sustainable development.

• ISSB Standards equip entities to provide investors with material information about sustainability-related risks and opportunities that could reasonably be expected to affect the company's financial prospects.

New Proposals for Nature-Related Disclosures The COP17 event also served as a platform to discuss the ISSB’s newly published proposals for nature-related disclosures. During the current consultation on their draft Practice Statement, the ISSB is actively seeking stakeholder feedback on the interoperability between these new nature-related proposals and the existing GRI Standards, particularly the GRI 101: Biodiversity 2024 standard.

Sue Lloyd, ISSB Vice-Chair, emphasized the focus on efficiency:

“In developing our proposals, the ISSB has explored how we can best enable companies to apply ISSB nature-related disclosure requirements and GRI Standards without duplicating efforts. Our goal is to minimise complexity where possible.”

Susanne Stormer, GRI GSSB Chair, highlighted the shared vision for transparency:

“The ISSB’s draft Practice Statement on nature-related disclosures is a welcome complement to GRI’s well-established standards for impact reporting on nature. With stronger reporting on nature-related financial risks and opportunities for businesses, we can expect to see more transparent corporate disclosures, which in turn facilitate better-informed decision-making. That’s the goal we share.”

The AIoD remains committed to bringing these vital global conversations to the regional boardroom, ensuring that directors are equipped with the governance structures, knowledge, and tools required to oversee nature and sustainability information effectively.