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Webinar Q&A

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1. Has the EU omnibus delayed sustainability reporting for large companies mandated by current CSRD to provide sustainability reporting starting from FY25 to be published in 2026?
   
   • One of the Omnibus proposals is to  provide a pause for companies that haven’t reported yet so they can “stop the clock” and sort out the scope and substance topics in the other Omnibus proposal. While this pause has only been proposed, it seems likely to be implemented. 

2. Is there a minimum number of topics a company will have to report on?
   
   • The CSRD does not specify a minimum number of ESRS topical standards a company must report on. Instead, the number of ESRS a company reports on is determined by the double materiality assessment.

3. Gathering data and working with IT slows down the process. How is data loaded into the tool?
   
   • Some information will be entered into the Persefoni platform manually by your reporting team. 
   • Carbon data that you’ve calculated using the Persefoni enterprise or free Pro platform will be able to be pulled over directly to the reporting tool by API in future iterations.

4. When is the new CSRD proposal expected to be approved (if it is) by the EU?
   
   • There is not a specific timeline, but the European Commission has asked the Parliament and Council to prioritize the Omnibus. The postponement proposal is likely to move faster than the changes to scope and substance.

5. Will this reporting module be an added cost for existing users?
   
   • Sustainability Reporting is a free addition for existing users.

6. How does CSRD recommend we report on data points/disclosures that are material but a company may not have information on?
   
   • The ESRSs provide that companies should craft their disclosures based on the information they do have related to the material topic even if the information you have is incomplete. You might also disclose any policies and procedures you have related to those material topics even if you don't yet have detailed data. One of the important uses of this tool is to help you identify those areas where you might need to gather further data.

7. Does Persefoni software do XBRL tagging as well?
   
   • XBRL tagging is on Persefoni’s roadmap and we will include it as needed.

8. Does the tool integrate open-ended questions? or can documents be attached?
   
   • Both open-ended questions and document attachments are supported.

9. How are VSMEs affected by Omnibus? 
   
   • The Omnibus proposals significantly reduce the CSRD burden on very small and medium-sized enterprises (VSMEs) by raising reporting thresholds, delaying compliance deadlines, and simplifying requirements. Under the original CSRD, listed SMEs and mid-sized firms were required to report under a lighter sustainability standard by 2027-2029. The Omnibus changes remove most SMEs from the CSRD scope by raising the threshold to 1,000+ employees and €50M+ turnover/assets, meaning the vast majority of VSMEs are now exempt from mandatory reporting. Additionally, the planned two-year compliance delay means companies that were originally set to report in 2026-2027 now have until at least 2028, with many no longer needing to report at all. The EU will introduce a voluntary SME sustainability reporting standard for those that wish to disclose ESG data but without obligation.
   • For the few SMEs still in scope, the Omnibus eases compliance by reducing mandatory data points, eliminating sector-specific reports, and keeping sustainability assurance at a limited level instead of escalating to full audits. The EU Taxonomy reporting requirement is also waived for SMEs, further cutting compliance costs. Crucially, the Omnibus introduces a “value-chain cap”, preventing large companies from forcing SMEs to provide excessive ESG data beyond what is in the voluntary SME standard. These changes reduce costs and administrative burdens, ensuring that SMEs are not disproportionately affected by sustainability regulations while still allowing voluntary participation in ESG reporting.

10. Would this tool work with API to other data collection tools, so that supporting evidence can be automatically linked?
    
    • Advanced customers can use the Persefoni API to submit data including supporting documentation for sustainability reports. Additionally, future versions of Sustainability Reporting will interact with external reporting frameworks via their APIs to submit responses from the Persefoni Platform in the appropriate format (i.e. XBRL support is planned).

11. For the non-narrative and data-based disclosure requirements, what integrations are supported to automate the flow of data to support metrics required by CSRD?
    
    • If emissions data is entered into the Persefoni platform those will be able to be brought over automatically.
    • Advanced customers can use the Persefoni API to submit data including supporting documentation for sustainability reports.

12. Will there also be more controls around editing qualitative disclosure pieces? For example, tracked changes, comments on specific questions/phrases, locked editing, black-lining. If not, what are the export capabilities? Would you export reports to Word where these editing controls exist? 
    
    • We support comments per question currently and are building export to Word capabilities for release around the end of Q1

13. What is the reason/ motivation for releasing this tool for free? 
    
    • We provide this tool for free to all customers—whether Pro or Enterprise—because disclosure information is a public good essential to investors, consumers, and stakeholders. Navigating disclosure standards is complex, and our tool helps companies efficiently report their own data while keeping costs low so they can focus on action, not just reporting. Accessibility is key, making the disclosure process simpler for all businesses.

14. Is the report generated by the tool sufficient for CSRD compliance? or does it only serve as a guide to elaborate the final report?
    
    • What Persefoni offers in this tool is the blueprint. Companies need a lot of specialized tools to help execute the CSRD requirements. Our specialized tool is the carbon accounting management platform and a sustainability reporting tool. It's a blueprint. We want to help you customize it for the different frameworks and standards that you may need to report to so that you can then use your resources for those more specialized tools and tasks that you need to be successful.

15. Is this reporting platform only useful for Sustainability standards? Or does Persefoni offer their own, smaller, more manageable, sustainability reporting that allow companies to compare themselves to others in the industry?
    
    • Persefoni’s metrics exports and sustainability reporting workflow tools can be used to comply with various regulated and non-regulated climate disclosure frameworks. These include SB253, SB261, ISSB, SECR, CSRD, CDP and Ecovadis. Our Persefoni Consulting Group provides peer and industry benchmarking services across both quantitative and qualitative reporting.