On December 18, 2024, the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (“CSSB”) announced the release of its first Canadian Sustainability Disclosure Standards (“CSDS”). The new Canadian standards, effective January 1, 2025, align with international benchmarks while considering the unique Canadian context. Although currently voluntary, the Canadian standards provide useful guidance for disclosing sustainability-related financial information and climate-related risks and opportunities, and could become mandatory if adopted by regulators or governments in the future. Notably, the Canadian Securities Administrators (“CSA”) are reviewing the standards and will conduct consultations. If incorporated into a CSA rule, the standards would become obligatory for Canadian public companies.
