EU Commission adopts ESRS

The Commission has adopted the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), supplementing Directive 2013/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards sustainability reporting standards, for use by all companies subject to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

This delegated act is based on Article 29b(1), first subparagraph, of the Accounting Directive. It specifies the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) undertakings shall use to carry out their sustainability reporting in accordance with Articles 19a and 29a of the Accounting Directive.

The delegated act is accompanied by the following Annexes:

Annex I, which includes:

– Cross-cutting standards:

• ESRS 1 General requirements
• ESRS 2 General disclosures

– Standards on Environmental, Social and Governance matters:

• ESRS E1 Climate change
• ESRS E2 Pollution
• ESRS E3 Water and marine resources
• ESRS E4 Biodiversity and ecosystems
• ESRS E5 Resource use and circular economy
• ESRS S1 Own workforce
• ESRS S2 Workers in the value chain
• ESRS S3 Affected communities
• ESRS S4 Consumers and end-users
• ESRS G1 Business conduct

Annex II, which includes:

the list of Acronyms and the Glossary with the definitions to be used for the purposes of carrying out sustainability reporting in accordance with ESRS.

This delegated act applies from 1 January 2024 to the undertakings that were already subject to the non-financial reporting requirements introduced by the Non-Financial Reporting Directive.Its application will be phased-in for other categories of undertakings based on the phased approach set out in Article 5 CSRD.

Listed SMEs will have the option of meeting their reporting requirements under the CSRD by reporting according to separate, proportionate standards that the Commission will adopt by end June 2024.

Commission delegated regulation

Annex I

Annex II