Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting

ESG Reporting Content Overview

We are witnessing a profound change in the corporate reporting landscape, with ESG moving from the shadows to centre stage.

These changes are being brought about with regulatory developments such as the EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Reporting (CSRD) which will require companies to report on sustainability issues from 1 January 2024, ultimately bringing about 49,000 businesses operating in EU markets into scope. 

Developments in this area can only be welcomed as it translates to greater transparency with regard to the impact businesses have on the environment and human rights which means consumers, citizens, investors and enforcing authorities will be better informed. It also spells the end for any greenwashing being engaged in by companies. 

Compliance & Risks helps our customers to stay up to date on their ESG Reporting obligations and empowers them to achieve their ESG Goals by providing global coverage of laws and regulations, proposed, enacted & amended, as well as standards, guidance documents, factsheets and more covering:

• Requirements for companies to produce a report on their environmental, social & governmental performance
• Assurance of sustainability reporting in compliance with assurance standards adopted by the Commission 
• Classification systems for economic activities
• Measures to combat greenwashing & increase transparency in respect of sustainability claims made by companies 

Coverage Included

Compliance & Risks’ coverage of ESG Regulations and Standards is historically comprehensive and includes, but is not limited to:

• EU: Annual Financial Statements, Consolidated Financial Statements and Related Reports of Certain Undertakings, Directive 2013/34/EU & Others – Amendment – (on corporate sustainability reporting), Directive (EU) 2022/2464 [Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive]
• EU: Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), Regulation, July 2023 
• EU: Sustainability Taxonomy Regulation (EU) 2020/852
• EU: Technical Screening Criteria for Determining the Conditions Under which an Economic Activity Qualifies as Contributing Substantially to the Transition to a Circular Economy, Pollution Prevention etc, Regulation, June 2023 [Taxonomy Environmental Delegated Act]
• EU: Establishing Technical Screening Criteria for Determining Conditions Under which an Economic Activity Qualifies as Contributing Substantially to Climate Change Mitigation, Regulation (EU) 2021/2139 – Amendment – (on adding screening criteria) Regulation, June 2023
• EU: Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) 2014/95/EU
• Finland: Accounting Act, 1336/1997 – Proposed Amendment – (on implementing EU Draft Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)) Draft Regulations, November 2022
• Germany: Corporate Due Diligence In Supply Chains Act, BGBl. 2959, 2021
• China: Enterprise ESG Disclosure, Guidance, June 2022
• Iceland: Sustainability Disclosure Requirements and Sustainability Classification System in the Financial Sector, Law No. 25/2023
• ISSB: General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-Related Financial Information, Standard IFRS S1, 2023
• India: Business responsibility and sustainability reporting by listed entities Circular SEBI/HO/CFD/CMD-2/P/CIR/2021/562
• Norway: Reporting of Sustainability Information, Regulation No. 2354, 2022
• USA: Enhanced Disclosures by Certain Investment Advisors and Companies Regarding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investment Practices, Draft Rule, 87 FR 36654, 2022

We cover standards for our core products that are available from our partner Accuris. These are available through our Standards Module.

Related Regulatory Content

Our ESG Reporting Content focuses on laws and regulations requiring companies to produce a report (in a similar way that they are required to produce a financial report) on their ESG performance, generally, annually. The report will encompass items such as how they are doing in terms of environmental protection, social responsibility and treatment of employees, respect for human rights, anti-corruption and bribery, diversity on company boards (in terms of age, gender, educational and professional background).

Other regulatory content, such as Climate Change or Human Trafficking and Slavery, may also contain regulations requiring companies to report or disclose information in the ESG space or to perform due diligence e.g. under the UK Modern Slavery Act companies must disclose the steps they are taking to address slavery in the supply chain. Where the regulations are focused on one aspect, for instance human slavery, they will only be scoped to the Human Trafficking & Slavery Regulatory Content, as it does not involve an obligation to produce a report on the overall company’s ESG performance.