Human capital issues are well-represented throughout the 77 SASB industry standards, as detailed in the SASB Human Capital Bulletin. However, many issues are rapidly evolving and both companies and investors are increasingly attuned to their financial implications. As a result, investor expectations for human capital disclosure are rising. With this in mind, SASB Standards research staff undertook the Human Capital research project with the objective of evolving the content of the Standards in light of emerging trends.
As part of this project, Staff developed an evidence-based framework to support the identification of financially material impacts related to human capital management. This framework would enable the assessment of key themes within and across industries to form the basis of recommendations regarding possible modifications to industry Standards to incorporate new elements associated with human capital.
In December of 2021, the SASB Standards Board approved a new standard-setting project evaluating whether and how to address the themes of diversity, equity and inclusion in 45 industries. More information on that project can be found on the DEI project page.
These projects were transitioned to the ISSB upon consolidation of the Value Reporting Foundation into the IFRS Foundation in August 2022. Upcoming consultation on the ISSB's future agenda priorities will inform the delivery plan for these projects.