The EU has introduced new rules on corporate sustainability reporting through the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which requires large companies and listed companies (excluding micro-enterprises) to disclose information on social and environmental risks they face, as well as the impacts of their activities on people and the environment. This directive will modernise and strengthen the reporting rules, expanding the number of companies required to report on sustainability, and creating a culture of transparency. Companies will have to apply the new rules for the first time in the financial year 2024, for reports published in 2025. Companies subject to the CSRD will have to report according to European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), and they will be audited. The rules introduced by the Non-Financial Reporting Directive remain in force until companies have to apply the new rules of the CSRD, and apply to large public-interest companies with more than 500 employees.
The proposal is part of the EU’s broader efforts to achieve a sustainable and inclusive economic recovery and transition to a more sustainable and resilient economy. By improving the consistency and reliability of sustainability reporting, the new directive aims to help investors, civil society organisations, consumers and other stakeholders make informed decisions and hold companies accountable for their Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) performance.
Strengthened emissions reporting – corporate responsibility – transparency