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The European Union (EU) has ushered in a new era of sustainability reporting, as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is now effective. With impacts to both EU and non-EU headquartered companies, now is the time to understand the reporting requirements of this sweeping new regulation.

Continuing our CSRD miniseries, this week we discuss the EU’s “green” taxonomy regulation, which requires disclosure of certain metrics related to a company’s environmentally sustainable activities. Under these rules, companies that are in the scope of CSRD will be further required to identify and disclose the extent of their operations that align with the promulgated classification of sustainable activities. In this episode, Heather Horn is joined by PwC Germany senior manager Martin Schönberger to discuss the essentials of the regulation, including an overview of sustainable activities, how to determine whether activities are “aligned” with environmentally sustainable objectives, and disclosure requirements.

In this episode, you’ll hear discussion of:

2:54 - Context of and impetus for the regulation
5:11 - Scoping criteria
8:34 - Identifying sustainable activities, qualifying conditions, and underlying objectives
15:57 - The importance of considering whether your company engages in eligible activities, regardless of what sector your business is in
18:39 - How to consider the “substantial contribution” and “do no significant harm” criteria in aligning activities with the taxonomy
29:13 - Disclosure requirements, including reporting of KPIs (i.e., green net turnover, green capital expenditures, green operating expenses)
47:04 - Where companies should start on their journey to compliance with the taxonomy regulation

Looking for more information on the EU Taxonomy? Check out the European Commission website for the official legislation and released delegated acts. For a refresher on CSRD scoping requirements, take a listen to our earlier podcast episode, CSRD spotlight: Updates and essentials for preparers, as well as our publication Worldwide impact of CSRD - are you ready? Additionally, follow this podcast on your favorite podcast app for future episodes in this CSRD spotlight miniseries, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get all of our thought leadership, including an upcoming publication on EU sustainability regulations beyond the CSRD that impact non-EU companies, including the EU Taxonomy.

Martin Schönberger is a Senior Manager within the National Office at PwC Germany, focusing on sustainability reporting. His work includes interpreting the latest regulations from European legislators, and developing publications and trainings to communicate thought leadership to practitioners. Martin is also part of the Taxonomy Working Group, which coordinates technical issues regarding the EU Taxonomy within the PwC network.

Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to us_podcast@pwc.com.

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CSRD spotlight: Get up to speed on required EU taxonomy disclosures