“Within CSRD, sector-specific reporting standards (ESRS) coming in 2026 signal the next frontier in sustainability reporting.”
By now, you probably are aware of the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive). This relatively new reporting regulation is currently being introduced to organisations in the European Union. With the first group of organisations having to report on their sustainability performance in the financial year 2024, the regulation is starting to take shape and companies are taking action. With the official adaptation of the first set of ESRS on the 31st of July 2023, the reporting requirements were finalised. This led to more organisations becoming familiar with the extensive list of disclosure requirements. While you are busy diving into the details of the big change that the CSRD brings for your organization, a second set of ESRS standards are being developed: the sector specific ESRS. In this article we will explain what this entails and what this might mean for your organization.
What is the sector specific ESRS?
The reporting requirements that are published currently are the sector agnostic disclosure requirements. These disclosure requirements are applicable to all types of organizations and are fully dependent on the double materiality assessment. This second set of standards that is currently being developed, will focus on information that undertakings should disclose depending on their sector of activity. Similar to other reporting frameworks like GRI, these standards will describe common datapoints that are relevant based on the activities in a certain sector. These sector standards are meant to enable comparisons between companies and are therefore a valuable source of information for investors.
Which sectors is this relevant for?
The EFRAG is currently focussing on sector standards for “high-impact” sectors. These include:
- Agriculture, Farming and Fishing;
- Food and Beverage Services;
- Mining, Coal, and Quarrying;
- Motor Vehicles;
- Oil and Gas;
- Power Production and Energy Utilities;
- Road Transport;
- Textiles, Accessories, Footwear and Jewellery.
This is only the start and more sector specific ESRS will be developed over time. Which sector standard is relevant to you will depend on the sector classification standard that is currently being developed. This standard (ESRS SEC1) identifies forty sectors in fourteen different sector groups. The sector that is relevant for your organisation is determined by looking at the organisation’s business model and the NACE codes it uses. These NACE codes categorize the activities of an organization and are also used for the EU Taxonomy.
Timeline
Although the topical ESRS were initially expected by June 2024, the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee approved the delay of two years, pushing the date to 2026. This was done to allow companies to focus on implementing the general ESRS first. With this delay, it was emphasised that the publishing of the new standards should still happen as soon as they are ready to allow companies to start preparing.
Take action
Although the delay will provide flexibility and time for companies to start the implementation for CSRD, it is recommended to keep up to date on sector standards as they are being developed.
At Intire, we keep a close eye on the developments in the reporting field to make sure we provide our clients with the latest information. Our approach is tailored to anticipate the upcoming changes, supporting companies in using the flexibility on the one hand, while already preparing for future changes on the other hand. We do this, for example, by using the draft sector standards to inform company specific datapoints. This reduces the additional pressure when the standards are later finalised.
Are you interested to see how we can help your organization get ready for the CSRD? Learn more about our services here or reach out to us.
