Sustainability reporting: Further regulatory resources and news

ASIC has published Regulatory Guide 280 Sustainability reporting (RG 280). It includes guidance on determining who must prepare a sustainability report under the Corporations Act, the content required in the sustainability report, disclosing sustainability-related financial information outside the sustainability report (such as in disclosure documents and product disclosure statements), and ASIC’s administration of the sustainability reporting requirements (including our specific approach to considering relief and use of our new directions power). 

We may update this guidance or provide other regulatory updates after we have observed how sustainability reporting and other sustainability-related disclosure practices develop in the Australian and international markets. In time, we may also update other regulatory guides impacted by the sustainability reporting requirements.  

ASIC regulatory resources

Regulatory guides

• Regulatory Guide 280 Sustainability reporting
• Regulatory Guide 43 Financial reports and audit relief
• Regulatory Guide 51 Applications for relief

Information sheets

• Information Sheet 271 How to avoid greenwashing when offering or promoting sustainability-related products

Reports and Consultation Papers

• Report 791 ASIC’s interventions on greenwashing misconduct: 2023 – 2024 (August 2024)
• Report 763 ASIC’s recent greenwashing interventions (May 2023)
• Report 593 Climate risk disclosure by Australia’s listed companies (September 2018)

Media releases

• 25-051MR ASIC issues sustainability reporting regulatory guide
• 24-205MR ASIC urges businesses to prepare for mandatory climate reporting

Webpages, articles and speeches

• Sustainability reporting: what it means for small business
• What small businesses need to know about sustainability reporting requirements
• Climate reporting and greenwashing: What small businesses need to know
• Start preparing now: Early ASIC guidance on the mandatory climate disclosure regime

For further information, visit our Regulatory resources page, which provides guidance as to how we interpret, and exercise our powers under, other applicable legislation.

Other useful resources

• Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Market Infrastructure and Other Measures) Act 2024 (see Schedule 4)
• Australian Government, The Treasury, Sustainable Finance Strategy: Sustainable Finance Strategy | Treasury.gov.au
• Australian Government, The Treasury, Sustainable Finance Roadmap: Sustainable Finance Roadmap | Treasury.gov.au
• CSIRO / BOM State of the Climate
• Australia National Climate Risk Assessment

Resources that may assist Australian businesses with greenhouse gas emissions calculations: 

• Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water: Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors For individuals and organisations estimating greenhouse gas emissions February 2023 Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors (dcceew.gov.au)
• Clean Energy Regulator: NGER calculators | Clean Energy Regulator (cer.gov.au)