Helping CSRD Zombies towards a sustainable economy: CSRD DAY & Awards
By Impact Institute
“Becoming part of a movement that works towards a sustainable economy, with CSRD as a framework for positive change.” This is what visitors of CSRD DAY and Awards, the event aiming to encourage and guide companies to go beyond simply complying with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) can expect on November 12 according to Michel Scholte, Co-founder of Impact Institute and Co-organiser of CSRD DAY and Awards.
CSRD DAY and Awards help organisations to make sense of and to realise the true potential of CSRD. Scholte: “It is about setting a new standard for how companies deal with CSRD. We want companies to see CSRD not as an end goal, but as a means to perform better.”
Marketplace for Solution Holders Beyond Compliance
CSRD DAY offers a marketplace with more than 30 solution providers that help companies with CSRD implementation. “This is a market where companies can find the practical tools and support they need to improve and accelerate their transition,” says Scholte.
He also shares that there will be various practical sessions during CSRD DAY and prominent speakers on the main stage. “With speakers such as Jan Peter Balkenende, Laura van Geest, Wim Bartels, Werner Schouten and Mildred Hofkes, we will discuss how companies can truly integrate sustainability. It will not only be inspiring, but also very practical.”
Sustainability as an Integral Part of Organisations
Scholte: “One of the most important aspects of CSRD is that for the first time, sustainability information is treated in the same way as financial information. This means that sustainability is no longer a matter of a separate department but becomes an integral part of the entire organisation.”
CSRD DAY and Awards help organisations to make sense of and to realise the true potential of CSRD. Scholte: “It is about setting a new standard for how companies deal with CSRD. We want companies to see CSRD not as an end goal, but as a means to perform better.”
The Risk of ‘CSRD Zombies’
Scholte provides some further background on what inspired us at Impact Institute to step up and deliver this event. It is the rise of ‘CSRD Zombies’. Scholte:
“The biggest risk is that companies see CSRD as a mandatory ‘number’. They perform the necessary reporting without any real transformation, after which they continue with business as usual. This leads to what I call ‘CSRD zombies’, who do what has to be done, but do not aim for real change.”
Instead of this soulless approach, Scholte argues for an inspiring interpretation of CSRD, call it transformative CSRD which will be emphasised during CSRD DAY. “We need to make sure that companies don’t just tick the box – but that they move forward and really embrace sustainability. It must be a matter of ‘kick the box’, where entrepreneurship is a tool to make the world a better place.”
About Michel Scholte
Michel Scholte is the Executive Council Member and Co-Founder of Impact Institute. He is a social entrepreneur dedicated to a more equitable economy. Michel is also the co-founder and executive director of True Price. He holds a variety of advisory board positions and is an alumnus of the Shapers Network of the World Economic Forum and a member of Worldconnectors. He holds an MSc degree in Sociology from the VU University Amsterdam, with a specialisation in research methods, politics and living wages. Michel is a frequently asked public speaker and opinionist in the field of impact measurement and valuation. The work of Impact Institute and True Price has been covered by prestigious news outlets like The New York Times, Forbes and The New Yorker and academic outlets like Nature Food and the FAO’s The State of Food and Agriculture.
Awarding Front Runners on Stage
A special element of CSRD DAY is the CSRD Awards. The Awards will recognise companies that already go beyond the minimum reporting requirements. “The awards are unique in that they encourage companies to show leadership in the field of sustainability,” says Scholte. “With these awards, we reward organisations that are already sticking their necks out with CSRD-aligned reports and inspire others to do the same.” “There is a lot of interest in the CSRD Awards. The shortlist of nominees includes companies such as Ahold Delhaize and Philips. Scholte:
“We have received an overwhelming number of applications from multinationals, banks and other large companies, including some of the largest organisations in the world. This shows that companies are increasingly willing to go beyond regulatory compliance. Like us they also see the CSRD as an opportunity to improve their sustainability performance and show that they are leading the way.”
The Movement Towards Change
Scholte emphasises that CSRD DAY is more than just an event; it’s a movement. “We are the largest of movement transformative csrd professionals in the Netherlands, with 700 alumni from CSRD Academy and 600 visitors on the day itself.”
Our efforts to grow a movement around CSRD education is now taking the next concrete step: soon coming is an online platform of and for CSRD professionals. In the platform, CSRD Academy alumni that are already part of the movement can access the latest knowledge on CSRD regulations, enjoy peer-to-peer support, connect with like-minded people, and more.
The movement is exactly what Scholte is most excited about for CSRD DAY and Awards: “I’m looking forward to sensing that we are engaged in a movement to accelerate sustainability of the economy.”
Would you like to be part of CSRD Platform? Become a member and enter the waiting list.
