Financing a Green and Inclusive Future for Europe

Following the EU policy initiatives on corporate reporting and sustainable finance, CSR Europe will provide companies with unique intelligence, exclusive learning opportunities, and practical tools & services to improve ESG measurement, reporting, and impact.
Discover the 2021 activities that will allow you to meet the expectations of investors and stakeholders alike.

The COVID-19 outbreak we experienced in 2020 has put an increasing number of companies under scrutiny for the way their business and operations impact employees, customers, and society at large. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations have become more and more relevant to orient capital flows towards Europe’s economic recovery and transition to carbon-neutrality.

ESG metrics, alongside traditional financial measures, were already used by investors to look at companies’ practices. However, as COVID-19 spread throughout the world, the pandemic became the catalyst for the adoption of a different approach to investing based on ESG metrics to address economic uncertainty, social inequality, and racial injustice. In 2021, ESG factors represent a key added layer of diligence to consider in the evaluation of an investment. Transparency is here to stay and the demand for it will increase.

For this reason, in 2021, CSR Europe will build upon its Total Impact Disclosure Approach – a smart mix of impact measurement, ESG standards in corporate reporting, and stakeholder dialogues – to:

Facilitate companies’ integration of ESG consideration into internal decision-making processes.
Strengthening companies’ relations with investors to attract and stimulate sustainable investments.

Throughout the year, we have planned dedicated ateliers to enhance the knowledge of our members with best practices, methodologies, and practical tips on:

How business performance can be measured by using sustainability metrics (Impact Measurement) and how to best improve internal processes.
The role of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and how they can contribute to the successful integration of sustainability in the financial decision-making process of their company.
How to effectively communicate the value of sustainable investments to stakeholders, taking into consideration the inputs given by international organizations such as the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and the Global Reporting Initiative(GRI).
Key EU policy initiatives, including the Commission’s proposal for the Revision of the EU Directive on Non-Financial Information, the evolving landscape around ESG standards, the Sustainable Finance Strategy 2.0, and the EU Taxonomy.

At the same time, CSR Europe will also continue to offer companies practical services and tools to improve the maturity and integration of sustainability into their business model, management, and activities, including stakeholder dialogues, materiality assessments, and sustainability report reviews.

Building upon CSR Europe’s work on tax transparency and responsibility, in 2021 we will also offer support to the industry sectors interested in building a responsible and transparent tax strategy for their members.

This process will follow a three step-approach based on: