Bridging the gap between financial and sustainability reporting. What are the implications for sustainable development?

The current sustainability reporting standards landscape has been characterized by an intense debate about the opportunity to develop new standards inspired by financial perspectives. The need to extend sustainability reporting boundaries considering financial dynamics has been driven by the pressures made by investors and financial analysts. Furthermore, a relevant contribution has been also provided by the recent entrance into the debate of the IFRS Foundation. Therefore, this chapter aims to systematize the recent international development regarding the financialization of sustainability reporting standards considering the recent development of the reporting standard proposed by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). In detail, we will shed light on the main constraints and opportunities related to the adoption of the SASB by international companies interested in actively contributing to the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.