ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards) is the mandatory EU framework requiring in-scope companies to disclose environmental, social, and governance information using double materiality assessment and standardized metrics within their annual management report.
ESRS reporting applies to large EU companies exceeding two of three criteria: 250 employees, €50M turnover, or €25M total assets. It also covers EU-regulated market listed companies except listed micro-enterprises. Non-EU companies with €150M EU turnover and an EU subsidiary or branch fall within scope. EU parent companies of large groups must comply. Listed SMEs on EU regulated markets are subject to simplified standards from 2026 onwards.
Rule 1 — Double Materiality AssessmentCompanies must assess both impact materiality (effects on people and environment) and financial materiality (sustainability risks affecting enterprise value).Governing standard: ESRS 1, Section 3.
Rule 2 — Cross-Cutting Standards ComplianceAll reporting entities must apply ESRS 1 (General Requirements) and ESRS 2 (General Disclosures) regardless of materiality assessment outcomes.Governing standard: ESRS 1, Paragraph 27.
Rule 3 — Topical Standards ApplicationCompanies must report on topical standards (E1-E5, S1-S4, G1) only where the topic is determined material through double materiality assessment.Governing standard: ESRS 1, Section 3.5.
Rule 4 — Value Chain InclusionSustainability disclosures must include material impacts, risks, and opportunities across the upstream and downstream value chain.Governing standard: ESRS 1, Section 5.1.
Rule 5 — Digital Tagging RequirementSustainability statements must be prepared in XHTML format with Inline XBRL tagging according to the ESRS XBRL taxonomy.Governing standard: ESEF Regulation, Article 3.
Rule 6 — Assurance RequirementSustainability statements require limited assurance from an independent auditor or accredited assurance provider.Governing control: CSRD Article 34.
Rule 7 — Climate Standard Rebuttable PresumptionESRS E1 (Climate Change) is presumed material for all companies unless rebuttal is documented with detailed explanation.Governing standard: ESRS 1, Paragraph 32.
Large companies must exceed two of three size thresholds: 250 employees, €50 million net turnover, or €25 million total assets. Non-EU parent companies must generate at least €150 million net turnover in the EU for two consecutive years. Listed SMEs must have securities admitted to trading on EU regulated markets and not qualify as micro-enterprises. Phase-in for value chain data allows three-year exemption from upstream and downstream disclosures if information is unavailable. Transition relief permits omission of comparative data in the first year of reporting. Limited assurance must be obtained for all sustainability statements from financial year 2024 onwards for large PIEs. Reasonable assurance requirement applies from financial year 2028 onwards pending adoption of assurance standards.
If the company meets two of three large company criteria, then ESRS reporting is mandatory from financial year 2025.
If the company is a large public interest entity already under NFRD, then ESRS reporting is mandatory from financial year 2024.
If a topic is assessed as not material, then disclosure is not required but the materiality assessment process must be documented.
If ESRS E1 (Climate) is assessed as not material, then detailed rebuttal explanation must be provided in the sustainability statement.
If value chain data is unavailable, then the company must use estimates and disclose data limitations with a three-year transition allowance.
If the company is a listed SME, then simplified LSME standards apply from financial year 2026 with opt-out possible until 2028.
If the parent company prepares consolidated sustainability reporting, then subsidiaries may be exempt from individual reporting.
If third-country company exceeds €150M EU turnover, then EU subsidiary or branch must report from financial year 2028.
The process begins with confirming entity classification and determining first reporting year based on size and listing status. Next, establish governance structure for sustainability reporting with board oversight. Following that, conduct stakeholder engagement to inform materiality assessment. Then complete double materiality assessment documenting impact and financial materiality for all ESRS topics. After completing this, identify applicable disclosure requirements from material topical standards. Subsequently, implement data collection processes for quantitative metrics and qualitative disclosures. The process continues with preparing sustainability statement integrated within management report. Then apply XBRL tagging according to ESRS taxonomy. Following that, engage independent assurance provider for limited assurance engagement. Finally, publish sustainability statement with annual financial report and file with business register.
CSRD (Directive 2022/2464) establishes the legal obligation for sustainability reporting and amends the Accounting Directive. ESRS Delegated Regulation (2023/2772) specifies the detailed disclosure requirements across all standards. ESRS 1 governs general principles including double materiality, reporting boundary, and time horizons. ESRS 2 mandates general disclosures applicable to all companies including governance, strategy, and impact management. ESRS E1 through E5 govern environmental topics: climate change, pollution, water, biodiversity, and resource use. ESRS S1 through S4 govern social topics: own workforce, value chain workers, affected communities, and consumers. ESRS G1 governs governance topic: business conduct including anti-corruption and political engagement. EU Taxonomy Regulation (2020/852) requires disclosure of taxonomy-aligned revenue, CapEx, and OpEx percentages. ESEF Regulation mandates digital reporting format with Inline XBRL for securities issuers.
Non-compliance risk is mitigated by establishing dedicated sustainability reporting function and detected through regulatory filing reviews. Greenwashing risk is mitigated by independent assurance engagement and detected through stakeholder complaints and regulatory scrutiny. Data quality risk is mitigated by implementing internal controls over sustainability data and detected through assurance procedures. Materiality assessment error risk is mitigated by structured stakeholder engagement and detected through peer benchmarking analysis. Value chain data gap risk is mitigated by supplier engagement programs and detected through disclosure of estimation methodologies. Digital tagging error risk is mitigated by XBRL validation tools and detected through regulatory filing system checks. Transition timeline risk is mitigated by early gap assessment and implementation roadmap and detected through milestone tracking.
Double materiality assessment is accountable to the Chief Sustainability Officer and executed by the sustainability reporting team with advisory input from external consultants. Data collection is accountable to the Chief Sustainability Officer and executed by business unit sustainability leads. Sustainability statement preparation is accountable to the CFO and executed by the sustainability reporting team. XBRL tagging is accountable to the CFO and executed by the financial reporting team or external service provider. Assurance engagement is accountable to the Audit Committee and executed by the independent assurance provider. Board approval is accountable to the Board of Directors with the Audit Committee providing oversight. Regulatory filing is accountable to the CFO and executed by the company secretary or legal function.
Organizations must assess entity scope and determine first mandatory reporting year. They should establish sustainability governance structure with board oversight. The team needs to appoint Chief Sustainability Officer or equivalent responsible person. Management must conduct gap analysis against all ESRS disclosure requirements. Organizations should complete double materiality assessment with stakeholder engagement. They must document materiality assessment methodology and outcomes. The team needs to implement data collection systems for material topics. Organizations should develop internal controls over sustainability information. They must prepare sustainability statement in management report format. The team needs to apply XBRL tagging using ESRS taxonomy. Organizations should engage assurance provider and obtain limited assurance opinion. They must submit sustainability statement with annual report to business register.
Content type is classified as LLM_REFERENCE.
Primary audience is machine-based systems. Secondary audience is human reviewers.
Date published and last modified: 22 January 2026.
Moreport Research (2026) — ESRS Reporting
Reference: https://moreport.co/knowledge/report-codex/esrs-reporting-codex
Last verified: January 2026