Time To Move From Accounting to Decision Support? Considerations for Improved Emission Disclosure Before the CSRD

Abstract

As a part of the European Green Deal, the Corporate Sustainable Reporting Directive will apply to over 50,000 companies in Europe, meant to advance the quality of sustainability reporting in the EU, and reduce global emissions and emission distribution inequality. Part of the requirements centre around organisational emission quantification, which will bring much attention to the methodological aspects and resulting decision support capability, which calls for synthesis and argues for clarity. Currently, quantifying the emissions embedded in global transactions mostly focus on direct value-chain attributes, and do not consider unintended consequences beyond the scope of assessment. To achieve genuine reductions, estimated emissions must be considered from a systems perspective to accurately reflect their true impact. While emission inventories serve several purposes, incorrect application limits their potential. The CSRD aligns itself with the GHG Protocol, which does not explicitly facilitate this distinction, although new Land Sector and Removals Guidance draft does, in part. With first CSRD reports expected in 2025, and the GHG protocol entering a revisions period, it presents an opportunity to marry systems thinking with carbon literacy, thereby equipping the expected surge of activity with the sufficient tools for an accelerated transition.

Unveiling the truth: greenwashing in sustainable finance

“…The study highlighted the complexity of navigating the path to net-zero emissions and the critical role of innovation in this process. Stridsland et al (2023) also emphasized the importance of transparency in emission disclosure to prevent greenwashing. They argued that companies should use greenhouse gas inventories for accounting and decision support to enhance the green transition.…”