
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:
New reporting rules require certain large EU companies to include in their management report a non-financial statement. These companies need to begin gathering and auditing information in order to be prepared to publish the required information within good time after the end of the 2017 financial year. Frank Bold recently published a short guide on the Non Financial Reporting Directive that identifies who will be affected and explains how to comply with the new reporting requirements.
On September 28, Frank Bold will hold the Creating Sustainable Companies Summit gathering leading thinkers, businesses, policymakers and civil society in Brussels to chart the way to the next generation of corporations and future of corporate governance.
The Brussels office of the public interest law firm Frank Bold is currently recruiting a Legal Research Intern to start immediately full-time, for a period of two months, with the possibility of a four-month extension.