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      The 20 most frequently asked questions about the CSRD

      The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is ambitious both in terms of companies subject to the directive as well as in scope of reporting requirements. The mandatory framework will significantly impact companies that have to report, as well as those does that do not (yet) have a reporting requirement, as they might be asked by stakeholders to communicate and/or share with supply chain partners, their sustainability information.

      Companies in scope are required to include sustainability information in their management report. The mandatory limited assurance by an external assurance provider puts data collection processes, controls and the resulting data quality under further scrutiny. The implementation entails significant operational changes related to governance, data and IT systems and processes. On top of that, multinational companies may need to deal with multiple applicable reporting frameworks and overcome differences in data requirements. An additional challenge for companies may be to obtain reliable information on contractual relationships with value chain entities.

      As mentioned in our CSRD preparedness assessment report it is crucial for companies to start preparing for CSRD implementation as soon as possible to ensure timely compliance with reporting requirements.

      The CSRD is more than a compliance. The framework is, and can be used as a tool that supports companies accelerate their sustainability programs and to transform to a more sustainable business.

      We have prepared answers to the 20 most frequently asked questions about the CSRD to help you manage the increasing complexity of these sustainability reporting requirements.

      Get ready with KPMG for a new level of sustainability reporting

      Sustainability is vitally important for all companies. KPMG firms support organizations of any Sustainability reporting level to make their sustainability transition as smooth and beneficial as possible. The CSRD will require corporations to integrate Sustainability as a major topic in their Risk discussion which must be qualified and quantified in their ERM. Our five-phase approach can help you embed the CSRD requirements in your organization while, at the same time, seizing Sustainability-related opportunities. We bring support both on technical capabilities as well as organizational capabilities and bring full transition support.

      With our tailored, modular project approach, and KPMG professionals extensive experience in providing advisory and assurance we can help you address the CSRD challenges and get ready for a new level of sustainabilty reporting. Click here for more information on our CSRD approach.

      Terminology

      The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires companies to report on the impact of corporate activities on the environment and society, and requires the audit (assurance) of reported information.

      The purpose of the Green Deal is to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. It is the EU’s response to achieving the targets laid down in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The EU’s action package ‘Fit for 55’ works towards the first step: reducing net emissions by at least 55% by 2030.

      The EU Taxonomy is a classification system that can be used to indicate if a financial product or investment is environmentally sustainable. Its purpose is to make it easier for investors to opt for sustainable investments.

      The Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) is the predecessor of the CSRD and has a more limited scope. For example, the NFRD currently imposes an obligation on some one hundred companies in the Netherlands to report on ESG factors. In the future, the CSRD is expected to impose this obligation on some thousands of companies.

      Under the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), asset managers have to disclose their ESG risks, policies and results. Its purpose is to make European clients aware of the impact of investments and to make it easier to compare financial products in terms of sustainability.

      The European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) as created by the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) and finalized and published in 2023. The ESRSs are a core element of the new sustainability regulation. ESRSs aim to diminish corporate greenwashing and improve accuracy, consistency and comparability of sustainability reporting within the EU to the level of financial accounting and reporting.


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      Contact

      Marco Frikkee

      Partner Sustainability Reporting

      KPMG in the Netherlands

      Gijs de Graaff

      Partner Accounting Advisory Services & EU Taxonomy

      KPMG in the Netherlands

      Vera Moll

      Director Sustainability Reporting & Strategy

      KPMG in the Netherlands

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