Ebook details
European Sustainability Reporting Standards inAction: Context, Implementation, Ramifications
Joanna Dyczkowska red.
The monograph fits into the wave of changes in the sustainability reporting area and presents the preliminary practices and challenges in the initial phase of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) implementation.
The collective findings of the individual chapters show not only the diversity in how companies and financial institutions respond to regulatory change, but also the common issues they face in transforming reporting into a meaningful, transparent, and decision-useful management tool. At the heart of this transformation lies the double materiality concept, which mandates organisations to consider both the financial implications of sustainability issues and broader societal and environmental impacts of business activities. As highlighted in this monograph, the uptake of the double materiality is still immature, and the journey toward the ESRS implementation is in its early stages. A key conclusion is, however, that genuine sustainability cannot be achieved through reporting compliance alone. It requires a change of organisational culture, a realignment of incentives, and a promotion of sustainability not as a burden, but as a strategic pillar for long-term value creation. As the regulatory framework stabilises, the focus must turn to institutional learning, methodological refinement, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring that the sustainability reporting regime will live up to its basic informative role for companies, investors, and society at large.
Bringing it all together, tailored for ESG professionals, consultants, auditors, and business leaders, this monograph combines strategic insights with reporting practices to support effective ESG concept implementation. With its clear structure and depth of analysis, it also serves as an ideal foundation for students and researchers in sustainability accounting and reporting, as well as corporate governance. Timely and insightful, this publication stands out as an interesting source for anyone shaping the future of accountable business.
Acronyms and Abbreviations 9
Preface (Joanna Dyczkowska) 11
Chapter 1
Regulation in Flux: The Evolution of Sustainability Reporting
(Elina Paemurru, Raili Lilo, Ülle Pärl) 19
1.1. Introduction 19
1.2. The Formative Period of Sustainability Reporting (The Mid-20th Century
Through the End of the 1980s) 22
1.3. The Voluntary Framework Era (1990s Through 2015) 23
1.4. The Era of Regulatory Development (2015 Onwards) 25
1.5. Discussion and Conclusions 33
References 36
Chapter 2
Double Materiality in Sustainability Reporting: Status Quo in Austrian
Companies Before the ESRS Implementation
(Josef Baumüller, Maximilian Nowak) 40
2.1. Introduction 40
2.2. Double Materiality in the CSRD 42
2.3. Method of the Research Study 44
2.4. Results of the Research Study 46
2.5. Discussion, Conclusion and Outlook 52
References 54
6 Table of Contents
Chapter 3
Material Topics in the CSR Reporting of German and Austrian Banks:
An Analysis Taking Into Account Future Reporting Obligations
(Guido Sopp, Philipp Schäfer) 56
3.1. Introduction 56
3.2. Materiality Analysis as the Centrepiece of Sustainability Reporting 58
3.3. Structure of the Study 61
3.4. Results of the Investigation 63
3.5. Conclusions and Outlook 70
References 72
Chapter 4
Sustainability Reporting: Challenges and Risks in the Assessment
of Double Materiality in the Agricultural Sector
(Mirjana Hladika, Josipa Grbavac, Jelena Poljašević) 76
4.1. Introduction 76
4.2. Literature Review 77
4.3. Case Study: The Assessment of Double Materiality in the Agricultural Sector 81
4.4. Concluding Remarks 87
References 89
Chapter 5
Do Climate Scenarios Shape Pathways for Climate Change Mitigation
and Resilience Efforts? Reading the Signals and Paving the Way
to a Sustainable Future
(Joanna Dyczkowska) 91
5.1. Introduction 91
5.2. Integrated Theoretical Framework for Climate Change Mitigation and
Adaptation Research 92
5.3. Climate-Related Scenarios 95
5.4. Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation 102
5.5. Disclosure and Application Requirements in ESRS Regarding CC Mitigation
and Adaptation 104
5.6. Insights From Sustainability Reporting Practices in the Pre-Phase of
ESRS Implementation: Case Studies From the Fashion Industry 113
5.7. Conclusions 124
References 125
Chapter 6
Sustainability Reporting: Analysis of Early Adopters With a Focus
on Circular Economy Reporting
(Björn Bunzel, Robert Friedemann) 128
Table of Contents 7
6.1. Introduction 128
6.2. Research Design of the Study 130
6.3. Materiality Analysis and Disclosures on Resource Use and Circular
Economy: Evidence From Early Adopters 132
6.4. Summary of Key Findings and Conclusions 142
References 144
Chapter 7
The Changing Regulatory Environment in Hungary and Poland Due
to the ESRS Implementation
(Dorottya Edina Kozma, Tímea Veres, Hajnalka Fekete-Berzsenyi) 146
7.1. Introduction 146
7.2. Theoretical Background and Relevance of ESG, CSRD and ESRS 148
7.3. European Sustainability Reporting Standards 149
7.4. Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive 150
7.5. EU Taxonomy 151
7.6. Current Situation – Omnibus Proposal 152
7.7. The ESRS Adoption in Hungary 155
7.8. The ESRS and ESG in Poland 158
7.9. Conclusions 162
References 164
Chapter 8
Assessing Compliance With ESRS 2 General Disclosures: Evidence From
AeRO Market Companies on the Bucharest Stock Exchange
(Ileana Cosmina Pitulice, Aurelia Ștefănescu) 167
8.1. Introduction 167
8.2. Literature Review 168
8.3. Regulatory Framework for Sustainability Reporting in Romania 170
8.4. Research Methodology 171
8.5. Research Results 173
8.6. Conclusions 177
References 178
Chapter 9
Social Reporting in Polish Mining Companies:
Disclosure Practices Before ESRS
(Katarzyna Piotrowska) 180
9.1. Introduction 180
9.2. Literature Review 181
9.3. Analysis of Regulatory Changes on the Implementation of Sustainability
Reporting in Poland 184
8 Table of Contents
9.4. Research Methodology 185
9.5. Research Results 186
9.6. Discussion and Conclusions 191
References 193
Conclusions (Joanna Dyczkowska) 197
List of Figures 201
List of Tables
- Title:European Sustainability Reporting Standards inAction: Context, Implementation, Ramifications
- Author:Joanna Dyczkowska red.
- ISBN:978-83-68394-77-1, 9788368394771
- Date of issue:2025-11-14
- Format:Ebook
- Item ID: e_4mwp
- Publisher: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wrocławiu