Transforming Business with CSRD

Hosted by: Phil Dillard

CSRD, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, is a new EU law requiring companies to disclose their environmental and social impacts, aiming to help stakeholders better assess sustainability performance and related risks. In this episode, we hear from ESG experts Anna Csonka, Senior Sustainability Regulations Expert at denxpert; Emmanuel Zinsu, Head of ESG/Sustainability at HPC Germany; Lida Tan, President of Anew Global Consulting; and Richard Taylor, Senior Project Manager at Antea Group USA, on CSRD’s global impact on sustainability practices in businesses. They explore the complexities and impacts of CSRD, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of integrating these standards into business practices. They discuss how adopting CSRD can drive positive change and enhance sustainability within operations.

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Anna Csonka

denxpert - Hungary

Anna Csonka is a senior sustainability regulations expert at denxpert. Before joining denxpert in March 2024, she was a senior associate in MSCI's ESG research team, focusing on how the rating agency could grasp complex sustainability-related matters in their metrics. Prior to that, she was responsible for developing the annual and ESG report of Arla, one of the largest dairy companies in the world.

Lida Tan

Ms. Tan, President of Anew Global Consulting, has 34 years of executive experience managing complex environmental cleanup projects in the US, leading enforcement inspections in both the federal and state government, designing sustainability strategy and initiatives, advancing environmental, health and safety programs in the private sector as well as serving as an international expert in global environmental collaborations.

Richard Taylor

Richard is a Project Manager with Antea Group – USA supporting the Corporate Reporting and Disclosure team and the Materiality Solution of the ESG Advisory team. He supports clients from the Charlotte, North Carolina office. Richard has been creating and implementing environmentally thoughtful and sustainable solutions for more than two decades in a variety of sectors from supply chain to academia. The breadth of experience has afforded Richard a strong background in data analytics, logistics, and systems-based solution ideation and implementation, which he brings to Antea Group to help clients along their sustainability journeys. Richard holds a PhD in Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from North Carolina State University, with a research focus on the Carbon Cycle and climate change.

Emmanuel Zinsu

Head of ESG & Sustainability at HPC AG / Group with over 5 years of experience in ESG/CSR/Sustainability consulting at management and operational levels for both local and multinational companies. A certified CSR manager from the German Chamber of Trade and Industry (IHK) and an SA8000 audit certificate holder from the Social Accountability International (SAI)

“It's honestly one of the most beautiful things about the CSRD. It's this European focused legislation. The idea of legislation being beautiful is, oxymoronic, but it's really this ask to increase transparency regardless of your nationality.” - Richard Taylor

“We are excited that data is going to be audited. So there has to be some validity to it…You really have to put in effort to make sure the data you collect is usable, and is credible.” - Lida Tan

“Right now, we are shifting to an era where we are given the opportunity to actually collect data on our non-financial matrices, which in history has never been the case. So now we're actually talking about understanding the total value creation of a company, not only based on finance or capital. So being able to capture this data, understanding your supply chain, having these matrices within your control helps you, as a firm, to be able to measure, manage them and continuously improve upon them, because we all know you cannot develop what you don't measure.” - Emmanuel Zinsu

“Don't be afraid of being transparent and vulnerable. This technique of telling all the positive sustainability stories just didn't really work out before, people stopped believing in it. By opening up and showing your negative side and negative impact as well, but still show that, okay, yes, I admit to it. I do have this negative footprint, but here are my actions and my plans to actually make up for it and drive positive change. I think that's just so refreshing for customers, consumers alike.” - Anna Csonka

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction to CSRD

03:36 CSRD vs. previous sustainability reporting

07:37 Costs and benefits of CSRD reporting for corporations

13:13 Global impact and implementation challenges

18:12 Importance of data management

22:11 Balancing CSRD auditing and compliance

25:20 Embracing the opportunities and overcoming resistance

28:07 Leveraging EHS for sustainability reporting

29:48 Integrating local practices into a global supply chain

38:54 Driving change and seizing opportunities

44:10 Phil’s key takeaways