Explainer
There are too many ESG frameworks and they overlap. Here is what each one is for, which are standards and which are disclosure platforms, and which ones a UK business is likely to need.
By Christopher Fagan, Managing Partner, PEF Consulting Partners
Some ESG frameworks are mandatory standards in certain places, some are voluntary frameworks, and some are disclosure platforms that use the standards. Most businesses need one primary standard, chosen by the regulation or the audience they report to, and then map their data to whatever else they are asked for.
| Framework | What it is | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| GRI Standards | Impact reporting on a company’s effects on the economy, environment and people | New topic standards: biodiversity from 2026, climate change and energy from 1 January 2027 |
| ISSB (IFRS S1 and S2) | Investor focused sustainability and climate disclosures | IFRS S2 applies from 2024 periods; targeted greenhouse gas amendments apply from 1 January 2027 |
| UK SRS (S1 and S2) | The UK versions of the ISSB standards | Issued 25 February 2026; voluntary, with listed companies reporting on a comply or explain basis for periods from 1 January 2027 |
| ESRS | The European standards under CSRD | Simplified ESRS adopted in July 2026, cutting mandatory datapoints by around 60%; mandatory from 2027 financial years and optional for 2026 |
| TCFD | Climate disclosure recommendations | Task force disbanded in 2023 and monitoring passed to the ISSB; still the basis of UK climate disclosure rules |
| SASB Standards | Industry specific sustainability metrics | Maintained by the ISSB and being updated |
| CDP | A disclosure platform and questionnaire used by investors and customers | Aligned with IFRS S2 since 2024 |
| TNFD | Nature related disclosure recommendations | More than 800 organisations have adopted it; the ISSB is developing guidance on nature |
Build one data set and map it to the frameworks you need, rather than answering each request from scratch. Most of the climate data is shared between UK SRS, ESRS, CDP and carbon reduction plans; the differences are in the materiality lens and the presentation.
Related reading: ESG reporting explained, UK SRS: what to do now, ESRS explained, ESG consultancy and compliance.
A set of standards or recommendations that tells a company what to disclose about environmental, social and governance matters and how. Examples include GRI, the ISSB standards, ESRS and TCFD.
GRI reports a company’s impacts on people and the planet for a wide audience. The ISSB standards report how sustainability matters affect the company’s prospects, for investors. Many companies use both.
Yes. The task force disbanded in 2023, but its recommendations underpin the UK’s climate related financial disclosure rules and are built into the ISSB and UK SRS climate standard.
Usually the VSME standard or a short GRI based report, chosen to answer what customers, lenders and public sector buyers actually ask for.
If you are answering the same ESG questions in five different formats, one well designed data set will save time every year. We can help you build it.