Talking ESG: EU sustainability reporting standards are near final

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The European Commission has adopted a set of proposals, known as the European Green Deal, including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which marks a new era of sustainability reporting in the EU. Under the CSRD, companies will soon have to report on a wide range of environmental, social and governance matters in compliance with European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).

On June 9, the European Commission released revised ESRS for public feedback. For this episode, Heather Horn was joined by Andreas Ohl, a PwC National Office Partner and Global sustainability topic team leader and Emily Kirsch, a PwC National Office Director who is following sustainability-related projects from accounting standard setters in the EU, to share their insights. Feedback is due July 7th, 2023.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• 1:48 - An overview of the revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards
• 7:52 - The biggest takeaways - including the changes in the proposed standards from earlier drafts
• 12:40 - Considerations of phase-in requirements to help companies apply the standards
• 18:45 - Considerations of interoperability with other sustainability reporting standards, including those from the ISSB, SEC, and GRI
• 23:15 - Recommendations for companies seeking to provide input on the draft standards during the 4-week public comment period
• 26:03 - Expectations for timing of implementation of the finalized standards
• 28:44 - Final advice for companies preparing for implementation of the new standards

For more information on the revised draft European Sustainability Reporting Standards, read our In brief. Additionally, a replay of the European Commission's presentation on the revised draft ESRS can be found on European Financial Reporting Advisory Group’s (EFRAG) website. Lastly, to hear more on the status of the "big three" sustainability proposals (and earn CPE credit), listen to PwC’s Q2 2023 Quarterly accounting webcast.

Andreas Ohl is a partner in PwC's National Office focused on thought leadership, standard setting, and mergers and acquisitions under US GAAP and IFRS. In addition to his US responsibilities, he leads the sustainability topic team for the PwC global network. Andreas is chairman of the Business Valuation Standards Board at the International Valuation Standards Council, is a member of the working group that authored the AICPA's in-process R&D guide, and has served as a member of the FASB's Valuation Resource Group.

Emily Kirsch is a director in PwC's National Office focused on sustainability reporting thought leadership and standard setting in the EU. She has more than 12 years of experience advising both public and private companies in navigating complex accounting and financial reporting topics during periods of change in an organization. 

Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to [email protected].