Jordan is confirmed by the IFRS Foundation as requiring ISSB sustainability disclosures, taking a climate-first path. Why it is a milestone for the MENA region.
Introduction
Global sustainability standards can feel distant from a specific market until a jurisdiction actually adopts them. Jordan has. The IFRS Foundation confirms Jordan as a jurisdiction that requires sustainability-related financial disclosures, and Jordan reached that point with a distinctive, pragmatic choice: it went climate-first. For the MENA region, this is an early and instructive milestone. This article explains what Jordan adopted, what climate-first means, and why it matters beyond Jordan’s borders.
Confirmed adoption
The clearest evidence is the IFRS Foundation’s own jurisdictional profile for Jordan, which answers yes to the question of whether a relevant authority has published a decision to require sustainability-related financial disclosures. The mechanism behind that yes is the Amman Stock Exchange Climate-Related Disclosures Regulatory Framework, which requires IFRS S2 and the climate-relevant parts of IFRS S1 for ASE20 companies. Jordan is therefore not merely interested in the ISSB standards. It is a confirmed adopter of their climate requirements.
What climate-first means
Jordan’s adoption has a specific shape. The full IFRS S1 standard requires disclosure across all material sustainability topics. Jordan chose to mandate only the climate requirements, meaning IFRS S2 together with the climate-relevant portions of IFRS S1, rather than the full breadth of S1. Full S1 and S2 reporting remains permitted and encouraged, and is treated as compliant, but the binding requirement is climate.
| Approach | What is mandated |
|---|---|
| Full ISSB adoption | IFRS S1 across all topics, plus IFRS S2 |
| Jordan’s climate-first adoption | IFRS S2 and climate-relevant IFRS S1; full S1/S2 permitted and encouraged |
This is a deliberate sequencing decision. It lets companies build capability on the most urgent and most developed topic, climate, before broadening to the full sustainability agenda.
Why it matters for the region
Two facts make Jordan a regional reference point. The Amman Stock Exchange was the first exchange in the Middle East to launch a climate-related disclosure regulatory framework aligned with the ISSB standards. And the IFRS Foundation has confirmed Jordan as a jurisdiction requiring these disclosures. Together, these give other MENA markets a working example of how ISSB adoption can be structured, including the climate-first sequencing and the index-based scoping that starts with the largest listed companies.
Jordan did not wait for the region to move. It adopted the ISSB climate standards first, on its own terms, and gave every other MENA market a template to study.
The direction of travel
Jordan’s adoption is a starting point, not an end state. The mandatory scope currently covers ASE20 companies, and the exchange has signalled it will consider extending the framework to more listed companies in later phases. The climate-first approach leaves a natural path to broaden from climate to the full sustainability agenda over time. For companies, and for banks in particular, the signal is clear: ISSB-aligned climate disclosure is now part of the Jordanian market, and the scope is more likely to widen than to narrow. This connects directly to the wider Jordanian climate regime that the CBJ, ASE and JSC together create.
How ESGweise helps
ESGweise helps companies and banks turn ISSB adoption into a working disclosure. We build the IFRS S2 climate disclosure, from governance and strategy through to greenhouse gas metrics and financed emissions, and we help organisations sequence sensibly from climate toward the broader sustainability agenda. See our reporting and strategy services and our note on IFRS S2 for banks.
Conclusion
Jordan is a confirmed adopter of the ISSB climate standards, reached through a climate-first approach that mandates IFRS S2 and climate-relevant IFRS S1 for ASE20 companies. As the first exchange in the Middle East to launch such a framework, Jordan gives the region an early and practical model, including the sensible sequencing of climate before the full sustainability agenda. For companies and banks, the milestone marks a clear direction of travel that is more likely to broaden than to reverse.
Frequently asked questions
Has Jordan adopted the ISSB sustainability standards?
Yes. The IFRS Foundation's jurisdictional profile for Jordan confirms that a relevant authority has published a decision to require sustainability-related financial disclosures. The mechanism is the Amman Stock Exchange Climate-Related Disclosures Regulatory Framework, which requires IFRS S2 and the climate-relevant parts of IFRS S1 for ASE20-index companies. This makes Jordan a confirmed adopter of the ISSB climate standards.
What does climate-first adoption mean?
Climate-first means Jordan mandated the climate requirements of the ISSB standards, IFRS S2 plus the climate-relevant portions of IFRS S1, rather than the full IFRS S1 requirement to disclose across all sustainability topics. Full IFRS S1 and S2 reporting remains permitted and encouraged, and counts as compliant, but the binding starting point is climate. This is a pragmatic sequencing choice that lets companies build capability on the most urgent topic first.
Why is Jordan's adoption significant for the MENA region?
The Amman Stock Exchange was the first exchange in the Middle East to launch a climate-related disclosure regulatory framework aligned with the ISSB standards. That first-mover position, combined with the IFRS Foundation's confirmation of Jordan as a jurisdiction requiring these disclosures, makes Jordan an early reference point for how ISSB adoption can work in the region, including the climate-first sequencing other jurisdictions may follow.
Do the ISSB standards apply to all listed companies in Jordan?
The mandatory requirement applies to companies in the ASE20 index. All other listed companies are permitted and encouraged to apply IFRS S1 and S2 voluntarily. The Amman Stock Exchange has indicated it will consider extending the framework to additional listed companies in later phases, so the scope is expected to broaden over time.