SASB Chemicals
SASB
Guidelines for sustainable chemical industry practices.
The SASB Chemicals costs $0 USD. Renewal costs $0 USD.
Key Strengths
- Industry-specific materiality focus tailored to the chemicals sector
- Backed by the IFRS Foundation, ensuring global credibility and adoption
- Widely recognized by major institutional investors including BlackRock and Vanguard
- Covers critical ESG topics: GHG emissions, hazardous waste, product safety, and water management
- Free to access and implement — no licensing fees for standard use
- Enables comparability across chemical companies for investor benchmarking
Ideal For
This standard is best suited for chemical industry companies seeking to align their ESG disclosures with investor-grade reporting frameworks. It is particularly valuable for publicly traded or large private chemical manufacturers, specialty chemical producers, and diversified chemical companies that need to communicate material sustainability risks and opportunities to institutional investors and analysts.
Target Audiences
Relevant Roles
Industries
Alignment & Recognition
Accrediting Body
Scope
Overview
SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) creates standards to help businesses report on sustainability measures. Established in 2011, SASB develops industry-specific guidelines, including for the chemicals sector. These guidelines cover key areas like greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, and product safety.
The standards aid businesses in transparently reporting on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. Over 120 companies globally use SASB Standards, gaining trust from investors and improving sustainability practices. Notable partners include large asset managers like BlackRock.
SASB is now part of the IFRS Foundation, ensuring global applicability. Certification for organizations involves aligning reporting practices with SASB’s criteria, enhancing their appeal to eco-conscious investors and consumers. For more details, visit the SASB website.
Requirements & Verification
Evidence Requirements
Organizations must gather and report quantitative and qualitative data across SASB Chemicals-defined disclosure topics, including greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2), air quality metrics, energy management, water and wastewater management, hazardous waste management, product design for use-phase efficiency, and safety and emergency management. Disclosures are typically included in annual sustainability reports, integrated reports, or SEC filings. No formal submission to SASB is required; organizations self-report using the standard's metrics and accounting guidance.
Prerequisites
Assessment Process
There is no formal exam for the SASB Chemicals standard. Organizations adopt the standard by self-reporting against its defined disclosure topics and metrics in their sustainability or integrated reports. Some companies choose to have their SASB-aligned disclosures independently assured by a third-party auditor, though this is not required by SASB itself. Alignment is demonstrated through the quality and completeness of disclosures mapped to SASB's Chemicals industry standard.
Renewal & Compliance
SASB standards are updated periodically by the IFRS Foundation's ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board). Organizations are expected to align their disclosures with the most current version of the standard. There is no formal renewal cycle or recertification fee; however, companies should monitor updates to the Chemicals standard and revise their reporting accordingly. Annual reporting is the typical cadence for disclosure.
Accountability Model
Impact & Outcomes
Employer Recognition
Consider Alternatives If...
Organizations outside the chemicals sector should use the relevant industry-specific SASB standard rather than this one. Companies seeking a formal third-party certification with a public seal or badge may find SASB's framework-based approach insufficient, as SASB is a reporting standard rather than a traditional pass/fail certification.
Alternative Programs
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Facts
Certification
English
2011