Project Report On “Preparing for Sustainability Disclosure: IFRS S1 and Bangladesh's Corporate Sector” Md. Samihan

Abstract

This study assesses the readiness of Bangladesh’s corporate sector to implement IFRS S1 sustainability disclosure requirements. Analysing annual reports and sustainability disclosures of 45 listed companies across seven sectors from 2022-2024, the study finds that while sustainability reporting has become universal (100% in 2024 vs. 84% in 2022), disclosure quality remains substantially below IFRS S1 requirements. Current practices achieve only 34.5% of full compliance, with a 65.5% preparedness gap. Critical deficiencies include weak enterprise value linkage (0.47), near-absence of scenario analysis (0.16), limited target-setting (0.48), and minimal external assurance (0.16). Banking firms show the highest readiness due to regulatory pressure, while cement and ceramics lag behind. Large-cap companies outperform mid-cap firms, whereas export orientation does not significantly improve preparedness. Only 7% of companies referenced IFRS S1 in 2024, indicating low awareness. The study highlights regulatory support and organizational capacity as key drivers of readiness and recommends phased adoption, enhanced regulatory guidance, and sector-specific capacity building to improve compliance.