PROJECT SUMMARY
The project focuses on studying the processes through which companies produce sustainability information, with particular attention to the concepts of materiality and information connectivity. In a regulatory context profoundly reshaped by the new European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), non-financial European companies are required to systematically integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data into their annual reports. This transformation involves not only technical adjustments but also a profound revision of the organizational and decision-making processes that govern the production and communication of information.
The project aims to explore the implications of this regulatory shift by analyzing how companies produce sustainability information, how they integrate it with financial data, and how this information is interpreted by ESG rating agencies.
The 27-month project is funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research under the PRIN PNRR 2022 call and benefits from the support of the European Union – Next Generation EU.
OBJECTIVES
• To study how companies determine which sustainability topics are material for disclosure (materiality process);
• To explore how sustainability information is integrated with financial reporting;
• To identify critical issues and training needs emerging during the adaptation to the CSRD, with implications for companies, professionals, and policymakers.
EXPECTED RESULTS
• A mapping of disclosure practices adopted by European non-financial companies in response to the CSRD;
• The identification of key challenges and organizational drivers in the production of ESG information;
• An in-depth analysis of how companies link sustainability with financial performance, and the tools used;
• The production of empirical evidence to support companies and policymakers in improving the quality and effectiveness of sustainability reporting.
FUNDING
This project is funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (PRIN PNRR 2022, Prot. P2022B7PYX) with the support of the European Union – Next Generation EU.
