The European market, and economy will be strongly changed and shaped by the European Green Deal. The European Green Deal is a strategic initiative and direction developed by the European Union to ensure that our continent achieves net zero emissions by the year 2050.

A huge part to reach this target, and business activity without negative impact on the environment and social society, implies legislation.

The European Union and Commission underwrite that our economy is strongly influenced and directed by finance, capital, investments, loans, credits, ... To ensure that the financial investments in Europe are supporting the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, and EU Green Deal, a lot of legislations are put into effect which will change our economy.

In this course we will explain one of the first directives adopted by the European Commission: the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, or better known as the CSRD.

The CSRD entails that a lot of companies (50.000) will have to report on sustainability (ESG) starting the coming years.

To be able to comply as a company, you have to not only understand the CSRD, but also be able to understand how to act upon it.

This course tries to help you in reaching this goal, ensuring you as a company can start.

A personal note:

The CSRD might be daunting. However, the goal is very simple. The last few decades our prosperity and well-being has risen tremendously. On a global level people are lifted out of poverty, mortality has dropped, as has crime. However, this prosperity and well-being did not take the impact on the environment into account. To ensure that we can maintain our current level of prosperity and well-being, the EU Green Deal is crucial.

On an economical scale we are taking "externalities" into effect. The current economic model privatises profits, and socialises costs. A future-proof economic model pulls external costs inside a company. The external costs, such as GHG emissions, need to be taken into account to ensure our societal needs are met, without destroying our society and environment in the wake.

The lessons within this course:

1. Lesson 1: The broad Context and Legal Framework
   1. Introduction
   2. Market Trends and The Reinforcing Loops
   3. Carbon Neutral vs Net Zero vs Carbon Negative
   4. Directive vs Reporting Standard
   5. Sustainability Targets, Ambitions and Regulations
   6. European Green Deal
   7. Sustainability Reporting
2. Lesson 2: CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive)
   1. Introduction
   2. What is it?
   3. Who does it impact and how?
   4. CSRD & EU Taxonomy
   5. CSRD & CSDDD
   6. CSRD & Supporting Frameworks
3. Lesson 3: ESRS - European Sustainability Reporting Standards
   1. Introduction
   2. What are they?
   3. General Principles & Disclosure Requirements
   4. ESRS E - Environment E1 - E5
   5. ESRS S - Social S1 - S4
   6. ESRS G - Governance G1
4. Lesson 4: Double Materiality Assessment
   1. Introduction
   2. A concept
   3. A concept by EFRAG
   4. Value Chain Implementation
   5. Book a meeting with The Ecological Entrepreneur
5. Lesson 5: VSRS (Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standards)
   1. Introduction
   2. What, How and Who?