Interoperable Reporting Standards
Interoperable Reporting Standards refer to a set of guidelines and specifications that ensure consistency and comparability across sustainability reports from different companies. The reporting standards are defined in the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) along with a taxonomy development and digital reporting requirements.
Why?
- Data exchange & interoperability: using the same reporting standards allows for easy exchange of sustainability information between companies and stakeholders.
- Comparability: easily compare the sustainability performance of different companies, make informed decisions.
- Streamline & Simplify: one standard means one report - no “am I doing it right?” or different reporting demands from different stakeholders.
Current Status of Interoperable Reporting Standards for CSRD
The European Commission is currently working on developing a set of Interoperable Reporting Standards for CSRD.
- Taxonomy development: The EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities defines which economic activities can be considered environmentally sustainable.
- ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards): These standards specify the information companies must report on, including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors.
- Digital Reporting Requirements: The development of a standardized electronic format for reporting sustainability data.
Timeline
Further reading