Ireland is advancing in its implementation of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), establishing stringent sustainability reporting requirements for Irish companies. Recently, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment issued amending regulations to address initial challenges in the transposition of the CSRD, but further clarifications from the Department are expected. 

The CSRD mandates in-scope companies to disclose comprehensive sustainability information in their directors’ reports, accompanying annual financial statements. This reporting requires a dual focus: “inside-out impacts,” which assess how company operations affect environmental and social factors, and “outside-in impacts,” evaluating how these sustainability issues impact the company’s performance. These reports must align with Ireland’s Companies Act 2014 and the European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) to ensure consistency across the EU. 

Key components of Ireland’s CSRD requirements include mandatory employee consultation on sustainability matters, electronic format submission in a specified reporting format, and detailed disclosures under Article 8 of the EU Taxonomy Regulation. Additionally, a limited assurance opinion from a statutory auditor is necessary to validate the information. 

The phased implementation will gradually introduce Irish-incorporated companies and EU market issuers to these sustainability requirements. As companies adjust, this approach aims to establish Ireland as a leader in transparent, comparable sustainability reporting. 

This CSRD transposition reflects Ireland’s commitment to embedding sustainability within its corporate sector, positioning Irish businesses to meet evolving global sustainability standards and investor demands. 

Sources :  

https://www.mccannfitzgerald.com/knowledge/sustainable-finance/sustainability-reporting-and-irelands-transposition-of-csrd-where-are-we-now 

https://www.fieldfisher.com/en-ie/locations/ireland/ireland-blog/ireland-transposes-the-corporate-sustainability 

https://www.mhc.ie/latest/insights/csrd-corporate-sustainability-reporting-legislation-enacted-in-ireland 

https://www.engage.hoganlovells.com/knowledgeservices/news/three-months-on-from-the-csrd-transposition-deadline-where-are-we-now