PDF ESRS-Professional Study Guide

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, effectiveinternal controlsfor assurance purposes must meet key characteristics to ensure reliability, traceability, and auditability.

(A) Documentation & Implementation:Internal controls must be formally documented, implemented as per the designated schedule, and consistently applied​.

(C) Testability by External Assurance Providers:Assurance providers must be able to verify the controls, test their effectiveness, and ensure compliance with CSRD assurance requirements​.

(B) Same Staff Performing & Assuring the Control:A fundamental principle of internal control is theseparation of dutiesto avoid conflicts of interest. The control must be performed by one team and assured independently​.

(D) No Need for Documentation:Proper documentation ismandatoryfor internal controls to enable traceability, testing, and regulatory compliance​.

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, GOV-5:Risk management and internal controls over sustainability reporting, highlighting the necessity of internal control mechanisms​.

EFRAG Assurance Guidelines:Stipulating that documented controls must be verifiable and tested for external assurance​.

Correct Options Explained:Incorrect Options Explained:ESRS References:

TheFacilities Management (FM) departmentis primarily responsible for providing information on building energy use and the environmental performance of physical infrastructure.

Key responsibilities include:

Energy management: Tracking energy consumption and implementing efficiency measures.

Sustainability initiatives: Managing green building certifications, renewable energy installations, and environmental compliance.

Infrastructure monitoring: Overseeing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, lighting efficiency, and water usage.

While theOperationsdepartment may use energy-related data for broader business functions, Facilities Management specializes inmonitoring and improving building performancefrom an environmental perspective​.

ESRS E1 – Climate Change, Disclosure Requirement E1-5- Specifies requirements for energy consumption and environmental impacts of buildings​.

EFRAG Guidance on Environmental Performance and Building Energy Use- Confirms that FM is responsible for infrastructure sustainability monitoring​.

Official References:

According to the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) under the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, stakeholders are defined as individuals or groups who can affect or be affected by the undertaking. The ESRS distinguishes between two main groups of stakeholders:

Affected stakeholders: These are individuals or groups whose interests are affected or could be affected – positively or negatively – by the undertaking’s activities and its direct and indirect business relationships across its value chain.

Users of sustainability statements: These include primary users of general-purpose financial reporting (e.g., existing and potential investors, lenders, and other creditors such as asset managers, credit institutions, and insurance undertakings) and other users, including the undertaking’s business partners, trade unions, social partners, civil society and non-governmental organizations, governments, analysts, and academics​.

Furthermore, engagement with affected stakeholders is a crucial aspect of the undertaking’s ongoing due diligence process and sustainability materiality assessment. This involves identifying and assessing actual and potential negative impacts to inform the materiality assessment process for sustainability reporting​.

Official References:

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772 of 31 July 2023 supplementing Directive 2013/34/EU on sustainability reporting standards​.

ESRS 1: General Requirements, Section 3.1 (Stakeholders and their relevance to the materiality assessment process).

TheCorporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)includes specificreporting mandatesthat organizations must comply with. Below is an evaluation of each option:

A. True– The CSRD requires organizations to conduct adouble materiality assessment, considering bothfinancial materiality(impact on the company’s financial position) andimpact materiality(the company’s impact on the environment and society)​.

B. True– Organizations reporting under the CSRD mustfollow a specific reporting format, which includes structured disclosures usingEuropean Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS)​.

C. False– The CSRDapplies to both EU and non-EU companiesthat have operations in the EU and meet the reporting threshold criteria. Non-EU companies generatingmore than €150 millionin annual turnover in the EU and having at leastone EU-based subsidiary or branchare subject to CSRD requirements​.

D. True– The CSRD isinterlinked with other EU legislation, including theEU Taxonomy Regulationand theSustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), ensuring companies align with broader EU sustainability goals​.

E. False– Organizations must report onvalue chain informationas part of theimpact, risk, and opportunity (IRO) management processwithin the ESRS framework​.

F. False– The CSRD mandatesexternal assurancefor sustainability reports, starting withlimited assuranceand progressing towardreasonable assurancein the coming years​.

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, Sections onDouble Materiality, Reporting Format, and Value Chain Information​.

EU Taxonomy Regulation & SFDR– Linkages with CSRD​.

Official References: