Filip Gregor
Head of the Responsible Companies Team
The European Parliament has adopted the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which clarifies transparency obligations for large companies operating in the EU on their sustainability impacts, risks, and opportunities. Pursuant to the CSRD, companies across all sectors will report against the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, which were developed by the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG), submitted to the European Commission and published on 22 November.
The new rules and EU standards will tackle major problems on the quality, consistency and comparability of sustainability information disclosed by companies, as well as root out widespread greenwashing practices.
Once the legislation is published in the Official Journal of the EU, Member States have a maximum of 18 months to implement CSRD into national law.
The swift CSRD implementation is key for a successful transformation of the EU's economy. To direct finance flows toward sustainability, private investors, banks and public institutions need consistent and reliable ESG data from companies.
Read our Brussels office's detailed analysis of the next steps needed here.
A company will report ESG information under the new standards if:
When do reporting obligations come into force?
The Directive is expected to enter into force in 2024, but some companies will be given extra time. The year 2024 is fully binding only for the largest EU companies, which have been required to report sustainability information under the previous NFRD legislation.
All companies under the CSRD scope will report sustainability data according to European Sustainability Reporting Standards. They will direct businesses on key ESG data and reduce companies’ administrative burden. Recently, the Board of the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) approved cross-cutting reporting standards and submitted them to the European Commission.
Among other things, the standards require companies to report on their carbon footprint, analysis of climate transition risks, and the significant impacts on people and the environment in their supply chains.
The standards cover strategic cross-cutting ESG information and 10 thematic areas including climate, pollution, water resources, biodiversity, circular economy, own workforce, workers in the value chain, communities & consumers, and business conduct. They also reflect a number of international initiatives, including TCFD, GRI, emerging international standards under IFRS, plus UN and OECD standards for sustainability due diligence.
The European Commission is expected to adopt the standards in the first half of next year, while EFRAG is also starting work on follow-up standards for climate-risk sectors (energy, transport, agriculture, etc.) being the first in line. The adoption of sectoral standards by the European Commission is expected in 2024. Filip Gregor, Head of the Responsible Companies Section at Frank Bold, participates in the standards’ development as a civil society representative in the EFRAG's Sustainability Reporting Board.
The International Sustainability Standards Board is presenting in London this Tuesday the work plan for the upcoming two years, including research projects to develop standards for companies’ reporting on biodiversity and human capital.
Today, national ministers responsible for internal market and industry voted in favour of the first reading position adopted by the European Parliament in April 2024. This approval by the Council of the EU brings to a successful close the legislative journey of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), which will now become law.
Four months after the announcement of a political agreement by negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, and after a severe reduction of the number of companies covered last March, the EP gave today its final approval to CSDDD.
