Mandatory Climate Reporting Has Arrived — Is Your Practice Ready?

Effective 1 July 2026, Group 2 entities under Australia's mandatory climate reporting regime must begin disclosing climate-related financial risks under AASB S2. This isn't a voluntary ESG framework — it's a statutory requirement under the Corporations Act 2001, carrying the same legal weight as financial reporting.

For conveyancers, property lawyers, and real estate professionals, this changes the due diligence landscape. If your clients include corporate property buyers, commercial investors, or entities meeting the Group 2 thresholds, climate risk disclosure is now a legal obligation.

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Who Is in Group 2?

Group 2 entities meet at least two of three thresholds:

Revenue: $200 million or more
Assets: $500 million or more
Employees: 250 or more

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For a 30 June balance date entity, the first mandatory report covers the year ending 30 June 2027.

What Must Be Disclosed?

AASB S2 requires disclosure across four pillars — governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets — including scenario analysis under at least two temperature pathways.

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For property-intensive businesses, the physical risk assessment component requires quantifying flood, bushfire, coastal erosion, extreme heat, wind, and storm risk at the property and portfolio level.

What This Means for Conveyancers

The NSW Law Society Climate Change Practitioner Guidance confirms conveyancers have a duty of care to warn clients about climate risks. With mandatory reporting in effect, corporate property buyers will demand documented climate due diligence as part of every transaction.

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Is This Only for NSW?

No. AASB S2 is federal legislation under the Corporations Act 2001 and applies nationally across all Australian states and territories.

How ClimateNest Supports Compliance

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ClimateNest provides deterministic, auditable property-level climate risk reports for any Australian address using government data from BOM, CSIRO, Geoscience Australia, and ABS — covering flood, bushfire, extreme heat, coastal erosion, wind, storm, social vulnerability, and energy trajectory.