EQS Regulatory Update: 19. May 2026

Final ESRS draft published 

The EU Commission has published the final draft of the revised ESRS and launched the consultation – and, contrary to some expectations, has not aligned itself more closely with the ISSB standard. Stakeholders can provide feedback until 3 June before the reporting basis under the CSRD is further finalized. 

Companies that will need to report from 2028 for financial year 2027 should now review the draft carefully, especially the planned simplifications and the continued focus on double materiality. 

In the EQS Sustainability Cockpit, we have already been offering the Simplified Draft of the ESRS since April. Once the consultation based on the latest draft of the standards has been completed and the standards have been formally confirmed by the Commission, they will be updated in the software. 

Read more: https://www.responsible-investor.com/eu-opts-against-issb-compliance-in-near-final-sustainability-reporting-standards/

Voluntary sustainability standard takes shape 

Alongside the revised ESRS, the European Commission has published the draft delegated act for the voluntary standard, previously known as VSME. The standard is designed for companies with up to 1,000 employees and is intended to act as a cap on value-chain information requests. 

The draft provides more clarity on how voluntary sustainability reporting may be structured and what larger CSRD-reporting companies can request from smaller partners. 

Apart from a few data points, not much changes regarding the standards themselves. As soon as the consultation is concluded and the standards are finally confirmed by the Commission, they will be updated in the EQS Sustainability Cockpit. 

Read more: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/17232-Sustainability-reporting-standard-for-voluntary-use_en

Webinar: Emissions accounting under ESRS E1 

The third part of the CSRD Masterclass focuses on emissions accounting under ESRS E1 and how to build reliable climate data. Topics include Scope 3 challenges, data quality, consistent methodologies and how climate data can support steering and ESG ratings. 

Even with Omnibus adjustments, greenhouse gas data requirements remain demanding, especially when it comes to Scope 3. 

Read more: https://www.eqs.com/de/compliance-wissen/webinare/csrd-masterclass-part3/

New white paper: AI for Sustainability Management 

The new white paper explains how AI can support sustainability teams in ESG reporting, from automated data extraction and report generation to conversational AI in the EQS Sustainability Cockpit. It also addresses key challenges such as hallucination risks, GDPR compliance and the limits of generic AI tools. 

AI can reduce manual effort in sustainability management when it is built on verified data, auditable workflows and clear governance. 

Read more: https://www.eqs.com/compliance-wpapers/ai-for-sustainability-management/