ESG communication with a clear focus

ESG efforts, reporting And comms remain relevant

In April 2025, the European Parliament—as expected—adopted the first part of the Commission’s Omnibus proposal, intended to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness by reducing the scope of mandatory ESG reporting currently being rolled out in the wake of the EU’s CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive).

Initially, this takes the form of a so-called “stop-the-clock” decision, meaning the reporting requirement is postponed by two years while work continues to simplify both the standards and the reporting format.

The expectation is that the number of data points will be cut significantly, and that the requirement for annual ESG reporting will be removed entirely for companies with fewer than 1,000 employees.

ESG efforts—and ESG reporting—can still pay off, and so can communicating about them.

But does this mean sustainability is now becoming a less important factor—not for the climate, the environment, employee wellbeing, and so on, of course—but for companies’ willingness to implement sustainable initiatives and their ability to run and grow a competitive business? And for the relevance of communicating clearly about it?

There is little to suggest that it does.

When you look at the fundamental drivers for maintaining a focus on sustainability from a purely commercial perspective—investor relations, consumer demand, risk management, process optimisation, innovation, and more—there are no immediate signs that these forces have weakened.

The market is still hungry for ESG data—and every company has to deliver if it wants to remain part of value chains. This is no longer about doing it because you have to, but because it makes good sense for the business. Read more about that here.

Keep communicating your company’s ESG efforts

And of course, it still makes good sense to continue communicating your company’s sustainability initiatives to key stakeholders—current and prospective employees, customers and partners, and the wider public.

The Omnibus proposal does not introduce changes to marketing rules relating to sustainability. However, the European Commission is expected to present its Green Claims Directive before long, which will set new standards for when sustainability marketing and communications are credible and acceptable—and when they amount to misleading greenwashing. See also the Danish Consumer Ombudsman’s thorough guidance: Environmental marketing by businesses: the Consumer Ombudsman’s recommendations.

Get started: build your company’s ESG identity and narrative

At Kontekst Kommunikation, we help you define your company’s ESG identity and narrative—in collaboration with key people in your organisation and, where relevant, external partners such as auditors, affiliated climate consultants, and others.

You are always welcome to get in touch for an initial conversation about the opportunities. You can also use the checklist below to get a clearer sense of how aligned and focused your company currently is when it comes to ESG communication.

Contact one of the partners in Kontekst for mere information:

Marie-Louise Arnfast: tlf. 40 56 34 36‬, mla@kontekstkommunikation.dk

Nana Balle: tlf. ‭22 95 14 05‬, nab@kontekstkommunikation.dk

Michael Kirkeby: tlf. 26 72 20 24, mki@kontekstkommunikation.dk