The second wave of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive brings thousands of mid-sized companies into scope for the first time. Most of them have never had sustainability data audited.

What changes in 2027

Listed SMEs and large non-listed companies start reporting on financial year 2026 data. The ESRS set out what to disclose, and limited assurance means an auditor will test how you got every number.

Where teams get stuck

The hard part is rarely the report itself. It is collecting data from dozens of sites and suppliers, documenting estimates, and keeping one version of the truth while the numbers keep moving.

How to get ready

Start with a double materiality assessment, map each material topic to its data sources, and agree owners early. Teams that do this in the first two months finish with time to spare.