Insights into Companies’ Adoption of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive

The European Union entered into force the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which represents a comprehensive framework to enhance transparency and accountability in corporate sustainability reporting. The study focuses on the organisational change processes and attitudes activated in the companies by the implementation of mandatory sustainability reporting under the CSRD. The study aims to provide insights into the practical adoption of the CSRD from an organisational change perspective. While prior studies have concentrated on more isolated aspects of CSRD implementation, this paper offers a holistic outlook on the entirety of the change processes involved. To achieve the goal, nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with sustainability professionals representing various organisations that are obligated to report under the CSRD in 2025 and 2026. This study develops an analytical framework combining Corporate Social Responsibility theory and Organisational Change frameworks. The results indicate that the CSRD serves as a catalyst for organisational change in all companies, regardless of their prior reporting practices. In managing this change, companies have to integrate sustainability and market concerns into their strategies.