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Toys & Sporting Goods
The Toys & Sporting Goods industry comprises two distinct segments that produce leisure products: entities that manufacture toys and games, and entities that manufacture sporting and athletic goods, such as bicycles, golf clubs, fitness equipment, and other similar products. Entities in this industry primarily sell their products to consumers through retail stores. The level of manufacturing integration varies among and within segments of the industry; manufacturing is based primarily in Asia, with China accounting for a majority of production.
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Rail Transportation
Rail Transportation industry entities provide rail freight shipping and support services. Important activities include shipping containerised and bulk freight, including consumer goods and commodities. Rail entities typically own, maintain and operate their rail networks, which may require significant capital expenditures. The industry exhibits economies of density because of its network effects, potentially fostering natural monopoly conditions. Together with the large sunk costs of rail infrastructure, this provides a competitive advantage to incumbent entities in the industry and creates barriers to entry for new entities.
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Relevant Issues for both Industries (7 of 26)

Why are some issues greyed out?

The SASB Standards vary by industry based on the different sustainability-related risks and opportunities within an industry. The issues in grey were not identified during the standard-setting process as the most likely to be useful to investors, so they are not included in the Standard. Over time, as the ISSB continues to receive market feedback, some issues may be added or removed from the Standard. Each company determines which sustainability-related risks and opportunities are relevant to its business. The Standard is designed for the typical company in an industry, but individual companies may choose to report on different sustainability-related risks and opportunities based on their unique business model.

Environment
- GHG Emissions
  The category addresses direct (Scope 1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that a company generates through its operations. This includes GHG emissions from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes), whether a result of combustion of fuel or non-combusted direct releases during activities such as natural resource extraction, power generation, land use, or biogenic processes. The category further includes management of regulatory risks, environmental compliance, and reputational risks and opportunities, as they related to direct GHG emissions. The seven GHGs covered under the Kyoto Protocol are included within the category—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
- Air Quality
  The category addresses management of air quality impacts resulting from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes) as well as industrial emissions. Relevant airborne pollutants include, but are not limited to, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, particulate matter, and chlorofluorocarbons. The category does not include GHG emissions, which are addressed in a separate category.
- Energy Management
- Water & Wastewater Management
- Waste & Hazardous Materials Management
- Ecological Impacts
Social Capital
- Human Rights & Community Relations
- Customer Privacy
- Data Security
- Access & Affordability
- Product Quality & Safety
  The category addresses issues involving unintended characteristics of products sold or services provided that may create health or safety risks to end-users. It addresses a company’s ability to offer manufactured products and/or services that meet customer expectations with respect to their health and safety characteristics. It includes, but is not limited to, issues involving liability, management of recalls and market withdrawals, product testing, and chemicals/content/ingredient management in products.
- Customer Welfare
- Selling Practices & Product Labeling
Human Capital
- Labour Practices
- Employee Health & Safety
  The category addresses a company’s ability to create and maintain a safe and healthy workplace environment that is free of injuries, fatalities, and illness (both chronic and acute). It is traditionally accomplished through implementing safety management plans, developing training requirements for employees and contractors, and conducting regular audits of their own practices as well as those of their subcontractors. The category further captures how companies ensure physical and mental health of workforce through technology, training, corporate culture, regulatory compliance, monitoring and testing, and personal protective equipment.
- Employee Engagement, Diversity & Inclusion
Business Model and Innovation
- Product Design & Lifecycle Management
- Business Model Resilience
- Supply Chain Management
  The category addresses management of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks within a company’s supply chain. It addresses issues associated with environmental and social externalities created by suppliers through their operational activities. Such issues include, but are not limited to, environmental responsibility, human rights, labour practices, and ethics and corruption. Management may involve screening, selection, monitoring, and engagement with suppliers on their environmental and social impacts. The category does not address the impacts of external factors – such as climate change and other environmental and social factors – on suppliers’ operations and/or on the availability and pricing of key resources, which is covered in a separate category.
- Materials Sourcing & Efficiency
- Physical Impacts of Climate Change
Leadership and Governance
- Business Ethics
- Competitive Behaviour
  The category covers social issues associated with existence of monopolies, which may include, but are not limited to, excessive prices, poor quality of service, and inefficiencies. It addresses a company’s management of legal and social expectation around monopolistic and anti-competitive practices, including issues related to bargaining power, collusion, price fixing or manipulation, and protection of patents and intellectual property (IP).
- Management of the Legal & Regulatory Environment
- Critical Incident Risk Management
  The category addresses the company’s use of management systems and scenario planning to identify, understand, and prevent or minimize the occurrence of low-probability, high-impact accidents and emergencies with significant potential environmental and social externalities. It relates to the culture of safety at a company, its relevant safety management systems and technological controls, the potential human, environmental, and social implications of such events occurring, and the long-term effects to an organization, its workers, and society should these events occur.
- Systemic Risk Management

Disclosure Topics

What is the relationship between General Issue Category and Disclosure Topics?

The General Issue Category is an industry-agnostic version of the Disclosure Topics that appear in each SASB Standard. Disclosure topics represent the industry-specific impacts of General Issue Categories. The industry-specific Disclosure Topics ensure each SASB Standard is tailored to the industry, while the General Issue Categories enable comparability across industries. For example, Health & Nutrition is a disclosure topic in the Non-Alcoholic Beverages industry, representing an industry-specific measure of the general issue of Customer Welfare. The issue of Customer Welfare, however, manifests as the Counterfeit Drugs disclosure topic in the Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals industry.

Toys & Sporting Goods Remove
Access Standard
- GHG Emissions
  The category addresses direct (Scope 1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that a company generates through its operations. This includes GHG emissions from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes), whether a result of combustion of fuel or non-combusted direct releases during activities such as natural resource extraction, power generation, land use, or biogenic processes. The category further includes management of regulatory risks, environmental compliance, and reputational risks and opportunities, as they related to direct GHG emissions. The seven GHGs covered under the Kyoto Protocol are included within the category—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
  
  None
- Air Quality
  The category addresses management of air quality impacts resulting from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes) as well as industrial emissions. Relevant airborne pollutants include, but are not limited to, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, particulate matter, and chlorofluorocarbons. The category does not include GHG emissions, which are addressed in a separate category.
  
  None
- Product Quality & Safety
  The category addresses issues involving unintended characteristics of products sold or services provided that may create health or safety risks to end-users. It addresses a company’s ability to offer manufactured products and/or services that meet customer expectations with respect to their health and safety characteristics. It includes, but is not limited to, issues involving liability, management of recalls and market withdrawals, product testing, and chemicals/content/ingredient management in products.
  - Chemical & Safety Hazards of Products
    Consumers and regulators expect the Toys & Sporting Goods industry to ensure its products are safe. Whether introduced by design or poor oversight of supply chains, the presence of harmful chemicals in products can have long-term effects on children’s development and health. Faulty or poorly designed products can also create choking, fire or other hazards, which can result in injury or death. The Toys & Sporting Goods industry is subject to extensive product safety regulation to protect children, and evolving science on the safety of certain chemicals will probably lead to additional restrictions. Failure to create products that are safe for consumers may lead to increased regulatory oversight and affect an entity’s social licence to operate. Furthermore, improper product safety testing or evaluation can result in costly recalls, litigation or reputational damage that can affect sales. Entities that effectively manage the design and manufacturing phases to reduce the use of harmful chemicals while eliminating others can mitigate safety risks, potentially improving brand reputation and reducing the cost of capital.
- Employee Health & Safety
  The category addresses a company’s ability to create and maintain a safe and healthy workplace environment that is free of injuries, fatalities, and illness (both chronic and acute). It is traditionally accomplished through implementing safety management plans, developing training requirements for employees and contractors, and conducting regular audits of their own practices as well as those of their subcontractors. The category further captures how companies ensure physical and mental health of workforce through technology, training, corporate culture, regulatory compliance, monitoring and testing, and personal protective equipment.
  
  None
- Supply Chain Management
  The category addresses management of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks within a company’s supply chain. It addresses issues associated with environmental and social externalities created by suppliers through their operational activities. Such issues include, but are not limited to, environmental responsibility, human rights, labour practices, and ethics and corruption. Management may involve screening, selection, monitoring, and engagement with suppliers on their environmental and social impacts. The category does not address the impacts of external factors – such as climate change and other environmental and social factors – on suppliers’ operations and/or on the availability and pricing of key resources, which is covered in a separate category.
  - Labour Conditions in the Supply Chain
    Labour conditions and the treatment of workers in the industry’s manufacturing supply chain are points of concern for consumers, regulators and entities. Labour issues include worker health and safety standards, compensation, excessive working hours and risks related to discrimination and forced labour. The industry is exposed to these issues because of its reliance on third-party manufacturing where labour standards and regulation enforcement may be weak. Entities also contract with numerous suppliers, adding complexity and transparency challenges. Failure to manage labour conditions can result in supply disruptions, reputational damage and increased regulation and enforcement in response to high-profile safety or labour incidents, strikes and work stoppages, and shifts in consumer demand. Entities that engage with suppliers through audits, partnerships and increased oversight may be better able to pre-empt and react more quickly to labour issues. Entities that effectively manage this issue can protect brand value and reduce their cost of capital.
- Competitive Behaviour
  The category covers social issues associated with existence of monopolies, which may include, but are not limited to, excessive prices, poor quality of service, and inefficiencies. It addresses a company’s management of legal and social expectation around monopolistic and anti-competitive practices, including issues related to bargaining power, collusion, price fixing or manipulation, and protection of patents and intellectual property (IP).
  
  None
- Critical Incident Risk Management
  The category addresses the company’s use of management systems and scenario planning to identify, understand, and prevent or minimize the occurrence of low-probability, high-impact accidents and emergencies with significant potential environmental and social externalities. It relates to the culture of safety at a company, its relevant safety management systems and technological controls, the potential human, environmental, and social implications of such events occurring, and the long-term effects to an organization, its workers, and society should these events occur.
  
  None
Rail Transportation Remove
Access Standard
- GHG Emissions
  The category addresses direct (Scope 1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that a company generates through its operations. This includes GHG emissions from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes), whether a result of combustion of fuel or non-combusted direct releases during activities such as natural resource extraction, power generation, land use, or biogenic processes. The category further includes management of regulatory risks, environmental compliance, and reputational risks and opportunities, as they related to direct GHG emissions. The seven GHGs covered under the Kyoto Protocol are included within the category—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
  - Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    The Rail Transportation industry generates emissions mainly through the combustion of diesel in locomotive engines. Despite relatively low emissions compared to other transportation industries, fuel management has implications for industry entities in terms of operating costs and regulatory compliance. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) including carbon dioxide (CO2) are of particular importance to government regulators concerned about climate change. Intensifying regulation of locomotive exhaust emissions and high fuel costs encourage rail entities to invest in fuel efficiency enhancements to manage emissions. These investments can improve an entity’s operational efficiency and cost structure, with effects on value and competitive position both within the industry and compared to other modes of transport.
- Air Quality
  The category addresses management of air quality impacts resulting from stationary (e.g., factories, power plants) and mobile sources (e.g., trucks, delivery vehicles, planes) as well as industrial emissions. Relevant airborne pollutants include, but are not limited to, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, particulate matter, and chlorofluorocarbons. The category does not include GHG emissions, which are addressed in a separate category.
  - Air Quality
    Rail operations emit several types of air pollutants regulated under national and international laws. These air pollutants can create significant and localised environmental and health impacts. For example, locomotive engines idling at rail yards may be a health concern for nearby human populations because HAPs such as benzene are known human carcinogens. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are a major component of smog and acid rain. At the same time, fuel is a significant industry cost. Rail entities that implement fuel efficiency enhancements and manage emissions may witness reduced costs in both the short and longer term.
- Product Quality & Safety
  The category addresses issues involving unintended characteristics of products sold or services provided that may create health or safety risks to end-users. It addresses a company’s ability to offer manufactured products and/or services that meet customer expectations with respect to their health and safety characteristics. It includes, but is not limited to, issues involving liability, management of recalls and market withdrawals, product testing, and chemicals/content/ingredient management in products.
  
  None
- Employee Health & Safety
  The category addresses a company’s ability to create and maintain a safe and healthy workplace environment that is free of injuries, fatalities, and illness (both chronic and acute). It is traditionally accomplished through implementing safety management plans, developing training requirements for employees and contractors, and conducting regular audits of their own practices as well as those of their subcontractors. The category further captures how companies ensure physical and mental health of workforce through technology, training, corporate culture, regulatory compliance, monitoring and testing, and personal protective equipment.
  - Workforce Health & Safety
    Moving freight by rail includes the risk of accidents and unintended releases of hazardous materials. These events may harm employee health and well-being as well as have negative financial effects on entities, such as reduced productivity, higher employee turnover and increased insurance costs. Poor employee health also may cause accidents. A healthy workforce, strong safety culture, thorough and systematic approach to safety, risk management programmes (including emergency preparedness and response), and operational integrity at all levels of an entity may reduce the probability and magnitude of rail accidents.
- Supply Chain Management
  The category addresses management of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks within a company’s supply chain. It addresses issues associated with environmental and social externalities created by suppliers through their operational activities. Such issues include, but are not limited to, environmental responsibility, human rights, labour practices, and ethics and corruption. Management may involve screening, selection, monitoring, and engagement with suppliers on their environmental and social impacts. The category does not address the impacts of external factors – such as climate change and other environmental and social factors – on suppliers’ operations and/or on the availability and pricing of key resources, which is covered in a separate category.
  
  None
- Competitive Behaviour
  The category covers social issues associated with existence of monopolies, which may include, but are not limited to, excessive prices, poor quality of service, and inefficiencies. It addresses a company’s management of legal and social expectation around monopolistic and anti-competitive practices, including issues related to bargaining power, collusion, price fixing or manipulation, and protection of patents and intellectual property (IP).
  - Competitive Behaviour
    Industry consolidation and prior allegations of anti-competitive practices in relation to captive shippers, among other reasons, threaten the anti-trust immunity granted to railroads in some regions. Some of the proposed policy changes may result in significant costs or impede investment in the industry. Rail entities operating at the limits of allowable charges in areas where they have market dominance, or those not complying with applicable jurisdictional legally or regulatory enforced rate structures, may face increased regulatory scrutiny. Any associated fines or penalties may affect an entity’s valuation negatively by increasing its cost of capital. In an environment of increased concerns about the market power and pricing practices of rail entities, competitive pricing and transparency in rate-setting while achieving adequate returns on investment is in their continued best interest.
- Critical Incident Risk Management
  The category addresses the company’s use of management systems and scenario planning to identify, understand, and prevent or minimize the occurrence of low-probability, high-impact accidents and emergencies with significant potential environmental and social externalities. It relates to the culture of safety at a company, its relevant safety management systems and technological controls, the potential human, environmental, and social implications of such events occurring, and the long-term effects to an organization, its workers, and society should these events occur.
  - Accident & Safety Management
    Rail accidents and unintended releases of hazardous materials have negative repercussions for the environment and communities along railroad tracks, as well as financial effects on entities themselves. Increasingly stringent safety regulations and the potential for significant costs following major accidents encourage entities to manage their safety performance with robust safety management systems. In addition, losing consumer confidence after such events may reduce revenues and damage an entity’s social licence to operate, increasing its cost of capital.

General Issue Category

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Remove Rail Transportation Access Standard

GHG Emissions

Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The Rail Transportation industry generates emissions mainly through the combustion of diesel in locomotive engines. Despite relatively low emissions compared to other transportation industries, fuel management has implications for industry entities in terms of operating costs and regulatory compliance. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) including carbon dioxide (CO2) are of particular importance to government regulators concerned about climate change. Intensifying regulation of locomotive exhaust emissions and high fuel costs encourage rail entities to invest in fuel efficiency enhancements to manage emissions. These investments can improve an entity’s operational efficiency and cost structure, with effects on value and competitive position both within the industry and compared to other modes of transport.

Air Quality

Air Quality
Rail operations emit several types of air pollutants regulated under national and international laws. These air pollutants can create significant and localised environmental and health impacts. For example, locomotive engines idling at rail yards may be a health concern for nearby human populations because HAPs such as benzene are known human carcinogens. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are a major component of smog and acid rain. At the same time, fuel is a significant industry cost. Rail entities that implement fuel efficiency enhancements and manage emissions may witness reduced costs in both the short and longer term.

Product Quality & Safety

Chemical & Safety Hazards of Products
Consumers and regulators expect the Toys & Sporting Goods industry to ensure its products are safe. Whether introduced by design or poor oversight of supply chains, the presence of harmful chemicals in products can have long-term effects on children’s development and health. Faulty or poorly designed products can also create choking, fire or other hazards, which can result in injury or death. The Toys & Sporting Goods industry is subject to extensive product safety regulation to protect children, and evolving science on the safety of certain chemicals will probably lead to additional restrictions. Failure to create products that are safe for consumers may lead to increased regulatory oversight and affect an entity’s social licence to operate. Furthermore, improper product safety testing or evaluation can result in costly recalls, litigation or reputational damage that can affect sales. Entities that effectively manage the design and manufacturing phases to reduce the use of harmful chemicals while eliminating others can mitigate safety risks, potentially improving brand reputation and reducing the cost of capital.

Employee Health & Safety

Workforce Health & Safety
Moving freight by rail includes the risk of accidents and unintended releases of hazardous materials. These events may harm employee health and well-being as well as have negative financial effects on entities, such as reduced productivity, higher employee turnover and increased insurance costs. Poor employee health also may cause accidents. A healthy workforce, strong safety culture, thorough and systematic approach to safety, risk management programmes (including emergency preparedness and response), and operational integrity at all levels of an entity may reduce the probability and magnitude of rail accidents.

Supply Chain Management

Labour Conditions in the Supply Chain
Labour conditions and the treatment of workers in the industry’s manufacturing supply chain are points of concern for consumers, regulators and entities. Labour issues include worker health and safety standards, compensation, excessive working hours and risks related to discrimination and forced labour. The industry is exposed to these issues because of its reliance on third-party manufacturing where labour standards and regulation enforcement may be weak. Entities also contract with numerous suppliers, adding complexity and transparency challenges. Failure to manage labour conditions can result in supply disruptions, reputational damage and increased regulation and enforcement in response to high-profile safety or labour incidents, strikes and work stoppages, and shifts in consumer demand. Entities that engage with suppliers through audits, partnerships and increased oversight may be better able to pre-empt and react more quickly to labour issues. Entities that effectively manage this issue can protect brand value and reduce their cost of capital.

Competitive Behaviour

Competitive Behaviour
Industry consolidation and prior allegations of anti-competitive practices in relation to captive shippers, among other reasons, threaten the anti-trust immunity granted to railroads in some regions. Some of the proposed policy changes may result in significant costs or impede investment in the industry. Rail entities operating at the limits of allowable charges in areas where they have market dominance, or those not complying with applicable jurisdictional legally or regulatory enforced rate structures, may face increased regulatory scrutiny. Any associated fines or penalties may affect an entity’s valuation negatively by increasing its cost of capital. In an environment of increased concerns about the market power and pricing practices of rail entities, competitive pricing and transparency in rate-setting while achieving adequate returns on investment is in their continued best interest.

Critical Incident Risk Management

Accident & Safety Management
Rail accidents and unintended releases of hazardous materials have negative repercussions for the environment and communities along railroad tracks, as well as financial effects on entities themselves. Increasingly stringent safety regulations and the potential for significant costs following major accidents encourage entities to manage their safety performance with robust safety management systems. In addition, losing consumer confidence after such events may reduce revenues and damage an entity’s social licence to operate, increasing its cost of capital.

Relevant Issues for both Industries (7 of 26)

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