In 2021, the European Union (EU) introduced the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), a significant legal development. This directive mandates that companies publicly disclose their environmental and social impact. Its overarching objective is to establish a framework that ensures the disclosed sustainability data is comparable, relevant, and reliable.
The CSRD brings about a transformative change by compelling companies to disclose their sustainability data. This disclosure enables stakeholders such as investors, consumers, and policy makers to make better-informed decisions. By influencing companies to adopt more sustainable practices, the CSRD aims to drive the transition towards a more sustainable business landscape.
What is the timeline for compliance?
For those organisations who are required to comply with CSRD, our timeline shows the steps the European Commission has already taken and is planning to take. Included against each step is a recommended action plan for companies who are preparing for mandatory reporting in 2026.
What concrete changes does CSRD bring to companies' reporting of non-financial information?
Required disclosures:
- Double materiality: impacts, key risks and opportunities affecting the business (financial implications) or business affecting the surrounding environment and societies (impacts)
- Not only historic performance disclosures, but forward-looking perspective up to 10 years
- Time-bound sustainability-related targets, metrics and action plans
- Enhancing the value chain perspective
- Roles of administrative, management and supervisory bodies with regard to sustainability management
Reporting practices:
- Reporting in the Management Report (vs. previously in Sustainability Report)
- Compulsory assurance (limited first, reasonable after the transition period)
- Highest management engagement
- Electronic reporting format (XHTML) and reporting to European Single Access Point (comparability)
Being able to comply with CSRD and leverage positive business opportunities require systematic development and transformation
How should you prepare for CSRD?
We support our clients in making CSRD-reporting work for their organisations. Part of the CSRD reporting drives companies to report completely new KPIs that have not been measured before. That is why they have to design new and transform existing internal processes aimed at collecting, monitoring and clarifying sustainability data.
Our approach to CSRD reporting is built on our extensive sustainability and reporting experience and strengthened by our people, digital, data and technology capabilities. We support you in defining the right KPIs to report on and preparing your organization to be able to do so.
If you would like to gain a deeper understanding of CSRD and its implications for your organisation, or if you require assistance in identifying potential gaps and developing the necessary capabilities, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are here to help.
Looking for more information about the double materiality assessment? Or in need of a readiness assessment of your organisation to know the gaps to overcome for CSRD compliance? Read more about the BearingPoint CSRD Readiness Assessment.
