GRI ESRS-Professional Exam - Topic 4 Question 17 Discussion

The ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards) framework consists of three primary categories of standards:

ESRS 1 (General Requirements):

ESRS 1 sets out the fundamental principles and requirements for sustainability reporting.

It provides an overview of the structure and drafting conventions of the ESRS framework, defining the categories of ESRS standards: cross-cutting, topical, and sector-specific.

It also establishes the double materiality principle as the basis for sustainability disclosures.

ESRS 2 (General Disclosures):

ESRS 2 outlines the core disclosure requirements applicable to all sustainability topics, ensuring comparability and completeness.

It includes general governance, strategy, impact, risk, and opportunity management disclosures applicable to all sustainability topics.

These disclosure requirements apply to all undertakings regardless of the specific sustainability topics being reported.

Topical Standards:

The ESRS framework includes ten topical standards covering the three key dimensions of sustainability:

Environmental (E): ESRS E1 (Climate Change), ESRS E2 (Pollution), ESRS E3 (Water & Marine Resources), ESRS E4 (Biodiversity & Ecosystems), and ESRS E5 (Resource Use & Circular Economy).

Social (S): ESRS S1 (Own Workforce), ESRS S2 (Workers in the Value Chain), ESRS S3 (Affected Communities), and ESRS S4 (Consumers & End-users).

Governance (G): ESRS G1 (Business Conduct).

These standards provide specific requirements on sustainability matters, complementing the general disclosure requirements in ESRS 2.

Sector-Specific Standards:

Sector-specific ESRS are currently under development.

These will address sustainability matters specific to different industries, ensuring that sectoral nuances are properly considered.

They aim to fill gaps not sufficiently covered by the topical standards by defining industry-specific impacts, risks, and opportunities.

Why is C. ESRS 1; ESRS 2; topical standards; sector-specific standards the correct answer?

ESRS 1 (General Requirements) comes first, setting the foundation.

ESRS 2 (General Disclosures) follows, providing cross-cutting disclosure requirements.

Topical standards are next, covering specific sustainability topics.

Sector-specific standards are the final category, though they are still in development.

Thus, the correct order aligns with the official structure of the ESRS framework as mandated in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772.

Official Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, various EFRAG guidance documents, and CSRD-related references:

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, Annex I: Structure of the ESRS framework.

EFRAG Compilation of Explanations (January - November 2024): Explanation of ESRS categories.

EFRAG Mapping of Sustainability Matters to Topical Disclosures (Q&A ID 177): Confirmation of ESRS 1, ESRS 2, and the ten topical standards.