Key Topics
- Scope and Timing: Expands the number of companies required to report and outlines criteria for inclusion and implementation.
- Reporting Format: Integrates sustainability within annual reporting, combining financial and non-financial data, and promotes digital reporting.
- Legal Interconnections: Aligns with EU regulations like the European Climate Law and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), mandates third-party assurance, and emphasizes materiality assessment.
- SMEs and Implementation: Extends reporting to SMEs, with transition periods and simplified standards to ease compliance.
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has launched the “CSRD Essentials” series, a practical guide for understanding the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This initiative, developed with Pascal Durand, MEP, and the Lefebvre-Sarrut Group, aims to make sustainability reporting more accessible.
The CSRD Essentials launch event featured discussions on integrating the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive into national frameworks and the Directive’s global impact.
Pascal Durand emphasized the need for stakeholder engagement to implement the Directive effectively, stating, “With the ‘CSRD Essentials’ project, we established a close dialogue with stakeholders on the rationale behind the text and the best steps for implementation.”
Jessica Fries, Chair of the GRI Supervisory Board, highlighted the global significance of the CSRD, stating, “The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive represents a turning point in support of global sustainable business practices, a mission GRI has aligned with since our beginning.”
Camille Sztejnhorn, ESG Impact Director at Lefebvre Sarrut, remarked, “CSRD Essentials sets the bridge between rule-makers and implementers, ensuring access to law and inspiring lawmakers across Europe.”
Peter Paul Van De Wijs, GRI Chief Policy Officer, added, “This new resource reinforces GRI’s role to make sustainability reporting universal, accessible, and beneficial for all stakeholders.”
Download the CSRD Essentials Guide
