What are the top sustainability reporting standards? Navigating all the reporting standards can be confusing at times and it can be tricky to keep up with all the abbreviations used for each standard. There are also several standards that are becoming obsolete or are focused on a very narrow industry e.g. banking. So here is an overview of the top sustainability reporting standards for industrial companies you should be familiar with. 1. The European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) are specific criteria for ESG reporting, developed to support the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) developed by the EU agency EFRAG. These standards aim to enhance transparency and comparability of non-financial disclosures across European companies.This standard will be dominating for companies in Europe and doing substantial business with Europe. 2.The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) offers a comprehensive framework for companies to report on their economic, environmental, and social impacts. The newest GRI Standards provide three sets (economic, environmental, and social) of 34 topic-specific standards.  GRI is a global standard and used by many multinationals. It has been the model for EFRAG when they developed CSRD/ESRS. 3. The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) operates as an autonomous entity for establishing standards under the umbrella of the IFRS Foundation (International Financial Reporting Standards) to improve the communication between investors and companies. This is also a global standard used by many multinationals. So if you are a Europen business the choice will be CSRD/ESRS from now. For non-European companies the choice is between GRI and ISSB. Scandic Sourcing has certified sustainability professionals according to GRI and also do reports and support with CSRD. There is not yet an official certification for CSRD.