🎤 Setting the Stage

Emmanuel Faber began his speech with heartfelt thanks to the attendees, both in person and online. He reminisced about the journey that started three years ago, emphasizing the importance of being present despite personal challenges. “I wanted to be here with you this week in Beijing,” he shared, highlighting his commitment to the cause.

🙌 Trust and Leadership

Faber focused on the significant trust placed in the ISSB Standards by various jurisdictions. “Thank you for your trust,” he repeated, acknowledging the collective effort in co-building these standards. He praised early adopters like Nigeria and Hong Kong for their leadership and foresight, noting that such decisions were made even before the standards were finalized. > “That is leadership,” he affirmed, appreciating the courage shown by these jurisdictions.

🌎 Shared Responsibility

The speech then shifted to the shared responsibility that comes with adoption. Faber emphasized the ISSB's commitment to supporting jurisdictions, investors, companies, and the assurance profession in properly using the standards. He urged the audience to protect and grow the common language of ISSB Standards, calling it a “treasure” and a “common good.”

🤝 Strengthening Our Global Community

Faber concluded with a call to strengthen the global community around sustainability standards. He proposed revisiting engagement strategies to better support jurisdictions now piloting and field-testing the standards. “We need to think about how we can take responsibility for ensuring that this community works together,” he stated, promising to return with more concrete plans.