New National Sustainability Reporting Framework to place deeper focus on sustainability disclosures in Malaysia

The aim is to enhance transparency and accountability of how businesses manage sustainability risks and opportunities, improve business resilience, and contribute to the nation’s broader sustainability agenda.

Malaysia has introduced the National Sustainability Reporting Framework (NSRF) in a move to enhance the state of sustainability disclosures in Malaysia.

Developed by the Advisory Committee on Sustainability Reporting (ACSR), the NSRF addresses the use of the IFRS^® Sustainability Disclosure Standards issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) as the baseline for companies in Malaysia.

The aim is to enhance transparency and accountability of how businesses manage sustainability risks and opportunities, improve business resilience, and contribute to the nation’s broader sustainability agenda. As stated by the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC), the NSRF also addresses the needs of stakeholders especially investors for consistent, comparable, and reliable disclosures.

Following the launch of the NSRF by Finance Minister II YB Senator Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan on 24 September 2024 (Tuesday), Malaysia joins more than 20 jurisdictions which have decided or are taking steps to use the standards.

The NSRF was developed through public consultations with various stakeholders, including local and foreign investors, various industry and professional associations. SC Chairman Dato’ Mohammad Faiz Azmi emphasised that the NSRF aligns with both investor expectations and the need to act on the climate crisis.

"As a major trading country and an open economy that has an important role in the global supply chain, it is important we adopt these requirements in an open way to reap the benefit of being an adopter", he said.

Listed issuers on Bursa Malaysia’s Main and ACE Markets, as well as large non-listed companies (NLCos) with annual revenue of RM2bn and above will have to comply with the new reporting requirements in a phased approach:

• Large-listed issuers on the Main Market with market capitalisation of RM2bn and above will begin using the ISSB Standards in 2025 (Group 1);
• This will extend to other Main Market listed issuers in 2026 (Group 2), followed by
• Listed issuers on the ACE Market as well as large NLCos in 2027 (Group 3).

In relation to climate disclosures, the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) which are incorporated in the Bursa Malaysia Listing Requirements are fully embedded in the ISSB’s standards for climate-disclosures.

The ISSB standards builds on the same pillars of the TCFD, i.e., governance, strategy, risk management, as well as metrics and targets. Thus, listed issuers have a degree of familiarity with the disclosure requirements under the standards, the SC stated.

Subject to further consultations and engagements, the ACSR aims to mandate reasonable assurance of sustainability information commencing in 2027.

To support implementation of the NSRF, the ACSR’s PACE (Policy, Assumptions, Calculators and Education) initiative will offer capacity building programmes, resources and toolkits to help preparers, including those which are focused on addressing the needs of medium and smaller companies.