NON-FINANCIAL AND SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING - soon a mandatory element of the annual report
Sustainability reporting is an opportunity to create added value for the company or organization and is an important part of the sustainable management of the company. Non-financial reporting, also known as sustainability reporting or corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting, involves disclosing information about a company's social, environmental and management performance.
Non-financial and Sustainability reporting:
- improve Company reputation and trust among stakeholders,
- increase their ability to attract and retain customers, employees and investors,
- obtain better financing conditions (bank requirements),
- increase the possibility of EU funds being approved,
- this is required from them by partner companies that are already obliged to report,
- in a few years they themselves will be obliged to report and can prepare a great foundation for the future,
- identify areas for sustainable performance improvement and set goals to encourage continuous improvement.
Why is Sustainability and Non-financial reporting important for SME companies
- BUYERS, SUBSCRIBERS: Interest in the sustainability reports of companies and organizations has grown tremendously in recent years and will grow even more in the future. More and more buyers and consumers are also deciding to buy based on sustainability indicators.
- INVESTORS: One of the main factors is the increased expectations of stakeholders regarding transparency and accountability in the performance of sustainable development of companies. Investors, customers and other interested parties are increasingly looking for information about a company's sustainability performance and using this information to make investment, purchase and other decisions.
- RISK MANAGEMENT: An important driver is the growing recognition of risks and opportunities related to sustainability issues. Climate change, resource scarcity, human rights abuses and other sustainability challenges can significantly affect a company's operations, reputation and long-term value. Non-financial reporting can help companies identify and manage these risks and take advantage of sustainability-related opportunities.
- FINANCING: Sustainable disclosure is also encouraged by legislation, including the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation and the Taxonomy Regulation (the EU Sustainable Finance Strategy is based on these two regulations). As a result of these two regulations, asset managers and financial advisors require more sustainability information from investee companies.
Agenda 2030
The 2030 Agenda commits all member states of the United Nations (UN) to action on five key themes: people, planet, progress, peace and partnership. The long-term survival and well-being of humans depends on our actions to live within planetary constraints. Our actions must be based on the rule of law, human rights and taking into account the fundamental principle of the 2030 Agenda that we leave no one behind. In addition to the political declaration, Agenda 2030 contains 17 sustainable development goals and 169 concrete sub-goals. Their characteristic is that they are universal - they apply to all countries, regardless of their level of development. Clear and measurable indicators are defined for each goal, which we must fulfill by 2030.
Requirements of the EU Non-Financial Directive (CSRD)
At the beginning of 2023, the new EU CSRD directive entered into force, which significantly increased the range of companies that will have to be included in non-financial reporting. If until now there were only around 11,000 such companies in the EU, this number will increase to around 50,000 companies with the new directive. These are:
- Companies that meet two of the three criteria: have more than 250 employees and/or more than 40 million euros in revenue and/or more than 20 million euros in capital;
- All listed companies in the EU, including small and medium-sized enterprises (except micro-enterprises).
Disclosure non-financial information: The directive requires certain large companies to disclose non-financial information in their management reports. This includes information on environmental, social and employee matters, respect for human rights and anti-corruption and bribery matters.
Requirements regarding reporting: Companies covered by the directive must include a non-financial statement in their management report that describes their policies, risks, results and their impact.
Frame reporting: Companies must use a recognized reporting framework to prepare their non-financial statements. Examples of recognized frameworks include the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Requirements regarding assurances: companies must have their non-financial statements independently verified. The verification must be carried out by an external auditor.
Requirements regarding publications: Companies must publish their non-financial statements on their website and keep them available for at least 10 years.
Requirements regarding compliance: Member States must ensure that companies covered by the directive comply with its requirements. They must also provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for non-compliance.
Reporting on Sustainability development based on GRI standards
The sustainability report is most often prepared in accordance with the GRI standards, as they are globally recognized with the longest tradition. GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) is a network organization that has set credible standards for reporting on sustainable development. They cooperate with OECD (Organization for economic cooperation and development), UNEP (UN environmental program), The Global Compact (UN Global Compact - framework of sustainable principles and rules of the UN), Earth Charter Initiative, IFC (International Finance Cooperation), ISO, UNCTAD ( UN conference on trade and development).
GRI is a systemic, long-term, transparent and credible way of monitoring indicators and preparing a report on the sustainable development of a company or organization. The latest GRI standards have developed three series (economic, environmental and social) of 34 topic-specific standards to help companies report on the most important issues to their investors and other stakeholders.
Examples of our Sustainability Reports
OFFER FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED COMPANIES:
Together with our team of experts, we prepared an offer for the implementation of Sustainability Reports and Non-Financial Reporting according to GRI for small and medium-sized companies
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
FROM5500€
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
The offer includes the comprehensive preparation of a sustainability report - "turnkey" within the framework of 20 topics of GRI standards, namely:
Setting a vision and strategy in the field of sustainability and defining key areas;
Harmonization of data, structure and textual content sustainability report;
Copywriting and proofreading of the sustainability report;
Final design of the sustainability report in accordance with the company's CGP;
Transfer of knowledge, standards and materials for independent management of sustainable reporting in the future.
NON-FINANCIAL REPORT
FROM8200€
NON-FINANCIAL REPORT
The offer includes the comprehensive preparation of a non-financial report - within the framework of all 34 topics of the GRI standards, namely:
Setting a vision and strategy in the field of sustainability and defining key areas;
Harmonization of data, structure and textual content non-financial report;
Copywriting and proofreading of the sustainability report;
Final design of the report in accordance with the company's CGP;
Transfer of knowledge, standards and materials for independent management of non-financial reporting in the future.
