We have analysed hundreds of pages of technical documents and prepared a comprehensive overview of the sustainability reporting requirements under the forthcoming EU legislation. We summarise what ESG data will be critical for companies, banks, and investors in sustainability strategy and management and in the areas of climate change, environment, sustainable activities, employees and supply chains, due diligence, and anti-corruption measures.
In the integrated overview, we present the requirements of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD, the reform of the Non-Financial Reporting Directive), and the Regulation on Taxonomy of Sustainable Activities.
Currently, only large listed companies, banks, and insurance companies with more than 500 employees have to report sustainability data. The CSRD proposal, introduced in April 2021, extends the scope to all large companies and SMEs listed on stock exchanges, except for microenterprises. Investors and other financial market participants must also disclose sustainability data under the SFDR. The rules for companies and investors are complemented by regulation on a framework to facilitate sustainable investments - Taxonomy. Standards will be developed for both the SFRD and the Taxonomy to clarify specific technical details and criteria.
The final drafts of these standards are clearly summarised in the integrated overview by Frank Bold:
Today, the Council of the EU approved a watered-down version of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). It includes a severely reduced scope: Only about 0,05% of companies across the EU will be subject to the new law, a cut of roughly 2/3 - compared to the December trilogue outcome.
Frank Bold participated in the preparation of a new report examining the changes underway in the European energy sector and the need to modernize electricity grids to accommodate more renewable energy sources with emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
EU policy-makers agreed last night to postpone by two years the deadline for the adoption of sector-specific standards for companies sustainability reporting, which was initially set in the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive for June 2024.