ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) reporting is the structured disclosure of a company's non-financial performance to stakeholders — investors, regulators, customers, and communities. Different jurisdictions and stakeholders require different frameworks; selecting the right combination determines both compliance and capital access.
| Framework | Best For | Required By | Cost / Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSRD | EU exporters, EU suppliers | EU law (mandatory) | €8K–€18K · High |
| GRI | Global investors, comprehensive | Voluntary (market expectation) | €5K–€12K · Medium |
| SASB / ISSB | US investors, sector-specific | US stock exchanges, IFRS S1/S2 | €3K–€8K · Low–Medium |
| TCFD | Climate risk disclosure | UK/EU/JP financial regulators | €4K–€10K · Medium |
The frameworks overlap significantly — typical reuse rates we see:
A well-designed data architecture means you collect once and report many times — saving 30–50% on multi-framework programs.
No. CSRD is mandatory EU law; GRI remains a voluntary global standard. Many companies report against both — CSRD for compliance, GRI for global stakeholder communication.
The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) took over SASB in 2022 and issued IFRS S1 & S2 standards in 2023. SASB sector standards are now the basis for ISSB's industry-specific guidance.
AI accelerates drafting and gap-filling, but every disclosure must be traceable to verified primary data. Auditors will reject unverifiable AI-generated text.
Only CSRD/ESRS mandates it. GRI uses single (impact) materiality; SASB/ISSB uses single (financial) materiality. Doing the CSRD double materiality covers both.