Alles, was Sie über CSRD wissen müssen

Im November 2022 stimmte das Europäische Parlament für die Verabschiedung der Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), die betroffene Unternehmen verpflichtet, ihre Nachhaltigkeitsberichte jedes Jahr unabhängig prüfen zu lassen.

Die Richtlinie, die 2024 umgesetzt wird, ist nur ein Teil eines viel größeren ESG-Bildes, und es sind nicht nur europäische Unternehmen, die betroffen sein werden – auch Nicht-EU-Unternehmen, die mindestens 150 Millionen Euro innerhalb der EU erwirtschaften, werden von der Richtlinie erfasst.

Ab 2023 wird die CSRD die Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) der EU aus dem Jahr 2018 erweitern und überarbeiten. Es wird von Unternehmen verlangen, jährlich über die European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) mit elektronisch lesbaren und durchsuchbaren Berichten zu berichten. Diese neuen Anforderungen werden dazu beitragen, Nachhaltigkeitskennzahlen in der gesamten EU zu standardisieren und die Transparenz in Bezug auf unternehmens- und branchenspezifische Nachhaltigkeitsangaben zu erhöhen.

Previously, the NFRD covered 11,600 listed companies and banks with over 500 employees, the CSRD expands much further, covering all large & private & public companies that meet at least two of the following criteria:

250+ employees
€20 million or more in total assets
€40 million or more in turnover
The CSRD will cover many small and medium enterprises (SMEs), all large companies, all companies on listed markets, and international companies (e.g., non-EU companies) with subsidiaries operating within the EU. Qualifying SMEs will get three years to comply.

This could significantly transform ESG and corporate reporting requirements globally. The 49,000 companies covered by CSRD account for over 75% of all companies’ turnover in the EU, that’s 75% of all European business revenue.

The CSRD replaces the EU’s current ESG directive, the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD), and requires subject companies to:

Comply with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), which are expected to be adopted by summer 2023
Obtain a third-party, certified audit of their reported information
Apply double materiality standards, which show businesses’ ESG impact on both their internal operations and outward-looking sustainability goals

Whether your deadline to comply with the CSRD falls in 2024 or 2028, the complexity and critical nature of these new disclosure requirements make it imperative to act now. The following is a checklist that will help you prioritize next steps to ensure you have the right systems in place.

KNOW YOUR DEADLINES

There are several different deadlines for complying with the CSRD, so it’s important to understand which ones apply to your business.

Companies already subject to the EU’s existing NFRD will need to adhere to CSRD standards beginning in 2024, with initial reporting due in 2025. That means these companies need to prepare to plan and implement their compliance approach by 2023 in order to be ready for the 2024 reporting cycle. Other companies will phase in according to the following schedule:

Large businesses will need to comply by 2025, with the first report in 2026
Disclosures from SMEs follow in 2026, with reporting starting in 2027
Non-EU companies subject to the CSRD would need to comply by 2028, with initial reporting due in 2029