Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)

What do companies have to consider in future sustainability reporting according to CSRD?

With the adoption of the Green Deal, the European Commission has set the course for the transformation of the EU towards a more sustainable economic power. This should be enabled through disclosure of sustainability information, which will affect even more companies in the future.

The current guideline on non-financial reporting (NFRD) is being adjusted and expanded as part of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The content to be reported is defined in the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). These new standards create the conditions for companies to provide comparable data.

The central, new element of the CSRD is “double materiality”. The activities are to be classified as essential if they are essential from an ecological, social or financial perspective. This can lead to the reporting obligation of an expanded subject area compared to the NFRD. In the report, the ESRS also require companies to have a sustainability strategy with specific goals and measures.

At fors.earth, we specialize in developing such strategies and are happy to help you not only to identify your key topics for a report, but also to make your company fit for the future with a holistic sustainability strategy and to actively promote and help shape the transformation.

We would be happy to support your company with:

  • A materiality analysis according to CSRD to identify key sustainability issues
  • The presentation of the methodological procedure for the materiality analysis for the sustainability report according to CSRD
  • The development of a sustainability strategy including goals and measures according to CSRD
  • The implementation and execution of a sustainability strategy
  • The development of a climate strategy to achieve the 1.5 degree limit in cooperation with the climate experts from forliance
  • The reporting according to CSRD in cooperation with the reporting experts from HGB

FAQ


The current guideline on non-financial reporting (NFRD) is being adjusted and expanded as part of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
We give you an overview of what you should know now.


1. What is the CSRD?

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) replaces the previously applicable Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) and expands the existing reporting obligation for non-financial reporting. Whereas only 500 companies in Germany were required to report under the NFRD, there will be around 15,000 from the 2024 reporting year. According to the new regulation, the sustainability report must be integrated and checked in the management report. The CSRD is based on the EU taxonomy and the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). 

2. Who is affected by the CSRD and when?

The CSRD officially came into force in November 2022. With the fulfillment of a wide range of characteristics (see graphic), the introduction of the reporting obligation takes place according to a stage model:

1. Large public companies: Reporting in 2025 for FY 2024
2. Non-public companies: Reporting in 2026 for FY 2025
3. Capital market-oriented SMEs: Reporting in 2027 for FY 2026

3. What must be disclosed under the CSRD?

Disclosure is based on the principle of double materiality and covers the areas of environment, social affairs and governance.
In addition to the previous content requirements of the NFRD's sustainability reporting, the following information must be included:

  • Description of the business model and strategy in relation to sustainability aspects and stakeholder interests
  • Process for selecting material topics (double materiality)
  • Report on key sustainability issues including targets, planned measures and potential risks
  • Extension of the system boundaries to the upstream and downstream value chain
4. What is dual materiality under CSRD? 

The principle of double materiality is based on the consideration and categorization of sustainability aspects from two perspectives: the ecological and social perspective (impact of business activities on people and environment; inside-out perspective) and the financial perspective (importance of environmental issues for the company; outside-in perspective).
The rating as "essential" is based on a scale as part of a materiality analysis. The sustainability report according to CSRD must report on all topics that turn out to be significant in at least one of the two dimensions. Instead of just using the intersection of the two perspectives, as was done under the NFRD, the group of topics classified as essential is enlarged and provides more information.
 

 

5. Why is the CSRD sustainability report a business driver? 

In the future, investors and lenders will rely even more heavily on data from the sustainability report to make decisions. Other stakeholders such as society, customers and employees are also increasingly influencing the sustainable management of companies.
The CSRD requires the disclosure of essential business activities and strategic backgrounds. In this way, internal company processes will be optimized with the evaluation. This saves costs, leads to a better understanding of potential risks and opportunities and strengthens future viability. 

6. Implementation of the CSRD: how can fors.earth help?

The preparation for the CSRD begins in a first step with an inventory as well as an analysis of the environment and a subsequent materiality analysis in the sense of double materiality. The key sustainability activities with global challenges for sustainable development in your core business are identified, stakeholder expectations integrated, and strategic and operational deductions made. We would be happy to support you in implementing the CSRD in your company and in achieving the greatest possible positive impact. 

 

 

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  • Sustainability Academy

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  • Especially for Start-Ups

    We specifically support start-ups in the development and implementation of sustainable business models.

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Your Contact Person

Kathrine Link

Analyst

Phone: +49 151 54035755
E-mail: kathrine.link@fors.earth