Compliance
CSRD

CSRD — Corporate Sustainability Reporting and ESG Disclosure in the EU

Complete guide to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive — ESRS standards, double materiality, and climate reporting.

What is CSRD?

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (EU) 2022/2464 significantly expands mandatory sustainability reporting in the EU, replacing the Non-Fininal Reporting Directive (NFRD). It requires companies to report on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters following the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). Reports must be digitally tagged in XHTML format and subject to independent assurance. The CSRD phases in from financial year 2024, expanding to cover approximately 50,000 companies (up from 11,000 under the NFRD).

Who It Applies To

Phased approach: FY2024 — large public-interest entities (500+ employees). FY2025 — all other large companies (250+ employees, €50M+ revenue, or €25M+ assets). FY2026 — listed SMEs, small credit institutions, captive insurers. FY2028 — non-EU companies with €150M+ EU net turnover and an EU subsidiary or branch.

Key Articles & Obligations

Article 1

Article 19a

Article 19b

Article 19c

Article 26a

Article 29a

Article 29b

Article 34

Key Deadlines

FY2024 reporting

1 Jan 2025

First CSRD reports due from large public-interest entities (NFRD in-scope).

FY2025 reporting

1 Jan 2026

All other large companies must publish CSRD-compliant sustainability reports.

FY2026 reporting

1 Jan 2027

Listed SMEs and smaller entities begin reporting (with optional opt-out until FY2028).

Non-EU companies

1 Jan 2028

Non-EU companies with significant EU operations must comply.

Fines & Enforcement

Determined by Member States. Reports must receive independent assurance — failure to comply can result in regulatory action and reputational damage.

Double Materiality Assessment

The CSRD requires companies to conduct a double materiality assessment — the cornerstone of ESRS reporting.

  • Impact materiality — identify sustainability topics where the company's activities have significant impacts on people or the environment
  • Financial materiality — identify sustainability topics that create significant financial risks or opportunities for the company
  • Both dimensions must be assessed — a topic is material if it meets either or both criteria
  • The assessment must cover the company's own operations, upstream value chain, and downstream value chain
  • Companies must engage with affected stakeholders as part of the materiality assessment

European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS)

The ESRS define the specific disclosure requirements under the CSRD.

  • Cross-cutting standards: ESRS 1 (General requirements), ESRS 2 (General disclosures)
  • Environmental: E1 (Climate change), E2 (Pollution), E3 (Water and marine resources), E4 (Biodiversity), E5 (Resource use and circular economy)
  • Social: S1 (Own workforce), S2 (Workers in the value chain), S3 (Affected communities), S4 (Consumers and end-users)
  • Governance: G1 (Business conduct)
  • Reports must include forward-looking information, targets, and progress against previous targets

How Law4Devs Helps with CSRD Compliance

Law4Devs provides the full CSRD as structured JSON. Filter by reporting obligation, company size threshold, or topic area. Cross-reference with related frameworks for a complete compliance picture.

Related Regulations

Query CSRD via API

GET /v1/frameworks/csrd/articles
200 OK · structured JSON · official EUR-Lex source

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CSRD?

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (EU) 2022/2464 significantly expands the scope and depth of mandatory sustainability reporting in the EU, replacing the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD). It requires companies to report detailed information on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters following the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) adopted by the Commission. Reports must be digitally tagged in XHTML format and subject to limited assurance by an independent auditor. The CSRD phases in from financial year 2024.

Who does the CSRD apply to?

The CSRD applies in phases: from FY2024, large public-interest entities already subject to the NFRD (500+ employees); from FY2025, all other large companies meeting two of three criteria (250+ employees, EUR 50M+ revenue, EUR 25M+ total assets); from FY2026, listed SMEs, small credit institutions, and captive insurance undertakings (with opt-out until FY2028). Non-EU companies with EU net turnover above EUR 150 million and at least one EU subsidiary or branch must report from FY2028.

What are the key reporting obligations?

Companies must conduct a double materiality assessment to identify sustainability topics that are material from both an impact perspective and a financial perspective. They must report under the ESRS covering cross-cutting standards (ESRS 1, ESRS 2), environmental topics (climate change, pollution, water, biodiversity, resource use), social topics (own workforce, workers in the value chain, affected communities, consumers), and governance topics. Reports must include forward-looking information, targets, and value chain data. Limited assurance is required, moving to reasonable assurance over time.

How does Law4Devs help with the CSRD?

Law4Devs provides the full CSRD directive text as structured JSON via API. Filter by reporting obligation, company size threshold, or topic area. Access specific provisions on double materiality requirements, ESRS alignment, assurance obligations, and phase-in timelines. Cross-reference with related frameworks to understand how sustainability reporting intersects with data governance and digital disclosure requirements.

Access CSRD as Structured JSON

All articles, recitals, and amendments — queryable, filterable, and always up to date.