EFRAG Launches Portal To Track ESRS Disclosures

The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) has released an innovative gateway called the "EFRAG 2025 State of Play," which marks a major move to enhance transparency and execution of sustainability reporting. Under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), this interactive tool offers real-time information on how businesses are implementing the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). The portal aims to be a crucial resource for preparers, regulators, and stakeholders across the sustainability ecosystem by providing access to statistics as well as whole sustainability statements.

Two fundamental elements power this fresh platform. First, the Statistics Dashboard provides analytical observations based on 656 sustainability reports published by businesses spanning several industries and EU member states in 2025. Second, the Report Repository gives complete access to these corporate sustainability reports gathered between 1 January and 20 April 2025. These characteristics together give a thorough and changing image of how companies are coordinating with the ESRS framework during its initial application stage.

The results of EFRAG's examination of these reports offer insightful views on the evolution of ESRS acceptance, obstacles, and trends. The fact that just 10% of the surveyed firms indicated all ten topical ESRS requirements—from governance to biodiversity to climate—as essential is among the noteworthy results. This suggests that while a few companies are looking at their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) obligations more generally, most are concentrating on chosen issues they see as most directly relevant or urgent.

The most commonly disclosed among the ten ESRS themes were Business Conduct (G1), Own Workforce (S1), and Climate Change (E1). This implies that particularly in regions with more developed data and structures, firms are giving disclosures that correspond closely with current investor and regulatory expectations priority. Issues including biodiversity, internal carbon pricing systems, and human rights-related incidents were greatly underreported, therefore underlining continuous deficits in environmental and human rights transparency.

Another major area of worry indicated by EFRAG's research is the limited reach of stakeholder involvement in the materiality assessment process. Data show that 97% of businesses asked internal stakeholders before choosing which sustainability topics to report. Very few, nevertheless, extended that consultation to outside social interests like NGOs, communities, or vulnerable groups. This skewed engagement jeopardizes overlooking more general environmental and social effects and challenges the double materiality principle—a critical component of the ESRS framework.

Additionally clarifies the different forms of disclosure of policies for climate change transition. Though 55% of businesses included some kind of climate transition plan in their sustainability reports, there was significant inconsistency in how these plans were organized and communicated. The absence of a consistent framework or common approach points to the fact that, although disclosing is intended, implementation techniques remain quite different. This inconsistency could obstruct comparability and diminish the usefulness of such disclosures for other stakeholders including investors.

EFRAG also noted noteworthy geographic and industry variations in the breadth and depth of the sustainability reports. Report lengths typically ranged from 70 to over 200 pages. Emerging as the most thorough in their disclosures were financial institutions, mirroring the severe regulatory scrutiny and data complexity encountered by the industry. On the other hand, other industries—especially smaller ones—displayed more diversity in the thoroughness of their reports.

Expected to be critical in helping all stakeholders—businesses, auditors, regulators, and civil society—understand the changing realities of CSRD compliance are the portal and related market study. EFRAG stressed that this project aims not just to track progress but also to spot areas for simplification and enhancement inside the ESRS structure. Under the Omnibus proposals of March 2025, the European Commission's mission calls for lowering complexity and reporting requirements without sacrificing either quality or ambition; this suits it.

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) was thanked by EFRAG for its technical and analytical assistance in conducting the study. The portal, together with its underlying data, will be constantly updated; it will be a dynamic tool for tracking the introduction of obligatory sustainability reporting across the EU.

Platforms like "EFRAG 2025 State of Play" mark a significant turning point in the endeavor to promote greater accountability, consistency, and transparency across European markets as sustainability disclosures become more and more important to corporate strategy and regulatory compliance. In addition to influencing future recommendations, the knowledge gained from early adopters will aid in the larger shift to a more responsible and sustainable economic structure.