ESRS-Professional ESRS Professional Certification Exam Questions and Answers

2023/2772, various EFRAG guidance documents, and reports related to CSRD, ESRS, stakeholder engagement, double materiality, external assurance, and digital reporting Study guide References at the end of each question

Under the ESRS framework,employee-related datasuch asheadcount, turnover, and health and safety statisticsare typically the responsibility of theHuman Resources (HR) department. HR is responsible for managing workforce metrics, diversity, inclusion, hiring, terminations, and employee well-being, including health and safety programs.

WhileHealth and Safety (H&S) teamsmay contribute data related to occupational safety and health incidents, the responsibility foraggregating and reportingon overall workforce statistics lies with HR. TheCompliance departmentensures legal and regulatory adherence but does not maintain core employee records, whileMarketinghas no role in employee-related data reporting.

ESRS S1-6:Characteristics of the undertaking’s employees, requiring disclosure of total headcount and workforce breakdown​.

ESRS S1-14:Health and Safety Metrics, detailing occupational safety measures, incidents, and employee well-being programs​.

EFRAG Implementation Guidance on Workforce Reporting, which confirms HR as the responsible entity for employee data aggregation​.

ESRS References:

TheCorporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)replaced theNon-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD)to address itslimitationsin scope and reporting requirements. Below are the explanations for each option:

A. False– The NFRDdid notrequire all companies in the EU to include a non-financial statement. Instead, itapplied only to large public-interest entitieswith 500 or more employees.

B. True– The NFRD applied tolarge public-interest entities, includinglisted companies, banks, and insurance firms with more than 500 employees​.

C. False– The NFRDdid not mandate external assurancefor sustainability information. TheCSRD introduced mandatory assuranceat the EU level​.

D. False– The CSRDdid not replace the NFRD; rather, itexpanded and strengthened reporting requirements. TheNFRD was replaced by the CSRD, but not the other way around​.

E. True– TheCSRD was introduced to improve the scope and depth of sustainability reportingcompared to the NFRD. Itexpanded the number of entities required to report, standardized disclosures via ESRS, and introduced third-party assurance requirements​.

Key Differences Between CSRD and NFRDFeature

NFRD (Old Directive)

CSRD (New Directive)

Scope

Large public-interest entities (500+ employees)

All large companies + listed SMEs

Assurance

Not required

Mandatory external assurance

Disclosure Requirements

Limited sustainability disclosures

Comprehensive ESRS-based reporting

Reporting Standards

No standardized framework

ESRS-based mandatory framework

Application Date

In force since 2018

Applies from 2024 onwards

CSRD Directive (EU) 2022/2464– Assurance & Reporting Provisions​.

ESRS Compilation Explanations January - November 2024​.

Official References:

ESRS 2 IRO-1 requires organizations to disclose their process for identifyingimpacts, risks, and opportunitiesand assess theirmateriality. This includes detailing whether and howaffected stakeholderswere consulted during the process. Sincerisks and opportunitiestypically stem fromimpacts, the process ofimpact materiality assessmentserves as a natural starting point before evaluating theirfinancial materiality.

Identification of Impacts, Risks, and Opportunities (IROs):

Organizations must disclose their methodology for identifying materialimpacts, risks, and opportunities.

These include bothactual and potential impactson people and the environment, considering short-, medium-, and long-term horizons​.

Consultation with Affected Stakeholders:

ESRS 2 IRO-1 requires disclosure of whether and how theconsultation with affected stakeholdersinfluenced the identification of material sustainability matters​.

Stakeholder engagement is crucial in determining the scope and severity of sustainability impacts.

Role of Impact Materiality:

Impact materiality assessmentprecedes the evaluation of risks and opportunities.

Since mostrisks and opportunitiesoriginate fromimpacts, impact materiality serves as thestarting pointfor assessing theirfinancial materiality​.

Financial Materiality Evaluation:

Financial materiality pertains to the extent that a sustainability matteraffects the undertaking’s financial position, performance, cash flows, or cost of capital.

It evaluates whether an impact or risk could reasonably be expected to have amaterial financial effecton the organization​.

"Impacts, risks, and opportunities"correctly defines the scope of ESRS 2 IRO-1.

"Affected stakeholders"are explicitly referenced as a crucial element in the disclosure process.

"Risks and opportunities"emerge from sustainability impacts, making impact materiality the logical starting point.

"Financial materiality"is the final step, determining the financial significance of sustainability risks and opportunities.

Why is B the Correct Answer?Thus, the correct sequence isB: impacts, risks, and opportunities; affected stakeholders; risks and opportunities; financial materiality.

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

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, Annex I: ESRS 2 IRO-1 materiality assessment requirements​.

EFRAG Compilation of Explanations (January - November 2024): Explanation of ESRS 2 IRO-1 and its link to impact materiality​.

TheESRS Taxonomyacts as aframeworkfor tagging sustainability disclosures, ensuring data is structured, consistent, and comparable across organizations.

TheCSRD requires sustainability information to be reported in a digitally accessible format, making it available for both people and machines.

Under the CSRD, sustainability reports will eventually be uploaded to theEuropean Single Access Point (ESAP), centralizing public financial and non-financial information across the EU​.

ESRS as a "framework"– The ESRS taxonomy defines a structure that allows sustainability data to be categorized and tagged effectively​.

"Digitally accessible format"– The CSRD mandates reporting inmachine-readable formatssuch asXBRLto improve transparency and comparability​.

European Single Access Point (ESAP)– ESAP will serve as thecentralized EU platformfor sustainability and financial disclosures​.

Correct Sentence Completion:Explanation of the Selected Answer:References:

EU Taxonomy Regulation and CSRD Reporting Structure​

EFRAG Explanation on ESRS Digital Reporting​

Impact materiality is indeed considered thestarting pointfor thedouble materiality assessmentin the ESRS. The reason is that material impacts on sustainability matters cangenerate financial risks and opportunitiesin the future. TheESRS frameworkfollows this structure because:

Interrelation Between Impact and Financial Materiality

Double materiality includestwo dimensions:a)Impact materiality(how the company affects people and the environment).b)Financial materiality(how sustainability matters affect the company’s financial performance).

Impact materiality assessments oftenprecedefinancial materiality because many sustainability issues initially manifest asexternal environmental and social impactsbefore affecting the company’sfinancial results​.

Regulatory Confirmation of Impact as the Starting Point

According toESRS 1, section 3.3, impact materiality is typically assessedfirst, unless afinancial risk or opportunity exists independentlyof an impact​.

A sustainability mattermay become financially materialover time due to regulatory changes, evolving market expectations, or direct financial consequences.

Illustration of the Double Materiality Process

Example: A company engaged inhigh carbon emissionsmight initially consider this animpact materiality issue(environmental harm). However,increased carbon pricing, regulatory changes, and shifting investor preferencescan latertransform this into a financial materiality issue.

Conclusion:Sinceimpact materiality serves as a precursorto financial materiality in most cases, the statement istrue.

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

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, ESRS 1, Section 3.3:Double Materiality Framework​.

EFRAG Compilation of Explanations (January - July 2024): Confirmation that impact materiality assessment is the typicalentry point​.

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

ESRS 1 (General Requirements):

ESRS 1 sets out thefundamental principlesand 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 thedouble materiality principleas the basis for sustainability disclosures.

ESRS 2 (General Disclosures):

ESRS 2 outlines thecore disclosure requirementsapplicable 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 undertakingsregardless of the specific sustainability topics being reported.

Topical Standards:

The ESRS framework includes tentopical standardscovering 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 providespecific requirementson sustainability matters, complementing the general disclosure requirements in ESRS 2.

Sector-Specific Standards:

Sector-specific ESRS arecurrently under development.

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

They aim tofill gaps not sufficiently coveredby the topical standards by defining industry-specific impacts, risks, and opportunities.

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.

Why is C. ESRS 1; ESRS 2; topical standards; sector-specific standards the correct answer?Thus, the correct order aligns with theofficial structureof the ESRS framework as mandated inCommission 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​.

Under the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), organizationscan leverage their ongoing dialogue with stakeholders for the materiality assessment.The ESRS explicitly acknowledges that stakeholder engagement plays a fundamental role in assessing material impacts, risks, and opportunities.

Stakeholder Engagement is Central to Materiality Assessment

ESRS 1 and ESRS 2 emphasize that organizations should integrate stakeholder perspectives into their materiality assessments.Engagement with affected stakeholders is central to the undertaking’s ongoing due diligence process and sustainability materiality assessment.This includes processes to identify and assess actual and potential negative impacts, which inform the identification of material sustainability topics​.

ESRS Does Not Mandate a Specific Stakeholder Engagement Approach

While stakeholder input is considered valuable, the ESRS doesnot prescribe a mandatory format or behavior for engagement. Companies have flexibility in determining how they engage with stakeholders.

IG 1 Materiality Assessment FAQ 15states:"The ESRS require disclosure on the materiality assessment and its outcomes but do not mandate specific behavior on stakeholder engagement or the due diligence process."​.

Stakeholders Can Provide Objective Evidence

The materiality assessment should be based as much as possible onobjective data and evidence, butstakeholder perspectives can be a source of supporting evidencefor impact materiality.

The relevance of stakeholder input depends onhow much they are affectedby an organization’s activities (severity and likelihood of impacts)​.

Due Diligence and Materiality Assessment

Thedue diligence process includes stakeholder engagement, which informs the materiality assessment. Organizations must report how they integrate stakeholder feedback into identifying and assessing material issues​.

Nature as a Silent Stakeholder

The ESRS even recognizes thatecological data and conservation indicatorsshould be considered as proxy indicators for stakeholder engagement where human stakeholders are absent (e.g., in cases of biodiversity impact assessments)​.

Thus, the statement in the question isfalse. Organizationsare encouragedto utilize their existing stakeholder engagement mechanisms to inform their materiality assessments under ESRS.

Official References:

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772​.

Compilation Explanations January - November 2024​.

ESRS 1 & 2 Guidelines on Double Materiality​.

ESRS 2 is a cross-cutting, sector-agnostic standard (Option A)

ESRS 2 appliesto all undertakings, regardless of sector or industry.

It establishesgeneral disclosuresthat cover governance, strategy, materiality, risks, and sustainability metrics​.

Certain ESRS 2 disclosure requirements are subject to a phase-in period (Option C)

Some disclosure requirements have been phased infor companies with fewer than 750 employees, allowing gradual adoption​.

For instance, disclosures related tobiodiversity (ESRS E4), workforce (ESRS S1-S4), and pollution (ESRS E2)can beomitted for the first 1-2 years, depending on company size​.

B. Reporting organizations don’t have to address all disclosure requirements in ESRS 2

This is incorrect becauseESRS 2 disclosures are mandatory for all reporting organizations. Only topical ESRS requirements depend on materiality assessments​.

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, ESRS 2- Defines ESRS 2 as a sector-agnostic, cross-cutting standard​.

EFRAG Compilation Explanations (January–July 2024), Appendix C- Lists ESRS 2 disclosures with phase-in provisions​.

Incorrect Answer:Official References:

Nature is indeed recognized as a "silent stakeholder" in the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). This term implies that, although nature cannot actively voice its concerns, it remains a critical component of sustainability reporting due to its fundamental role in sustaining life and economic activity. ESRS emphasizes that organizations must consider their impacts on nature, ecosystems, and biodiversity as part of their sustainability disclosures.

This recognition aligns with the concept ofdouble materialityembedded in the ESRS framework, which considers both the financial impact on an organization and the organization's impact on environmental and social matters. The ESRS explicitly integratesbiodiversity and ecosystems (ESRS E4)as a key topic, reflecting the need to account for the effects of business activities on nature, even if nature itself cannot actively advocate for protection.

Thesilent stakeholderconcept reinforces theduty of carethat organizations hold in assessing and mitigating their impacts on biodiversity, land use, pollution, and natural resources. This aligns with theUnited Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)and theEU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, both of which emphasize the protection and restoration of natural ecosystems​.

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772 of 31 July 2023(ESRS E4 - Biodiversity and Ecosystems)​.

EFRAG Guidance on Stakeholder Engagement– Highlights nature as an affected stakeholder in sustainability matters​.

EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030– Emphasizes that economic activities must integrate ecosystem preservation and restoration​.

Official References:This confirms that the statement istrueunder ESRS standards.