TheEnvironmental Sectionof the topical ESRS includes disclosure requirements covering environmental sustainability matters. This section specifically relates toenvironmental objectives as defined in the EU Taxonomy, ensuring alignment with broader European sustainability goals.
Thetopical ESRS environmental standards (ESRS E1 - E5)cover:
* ESRS E1- Climate Change (Mitigation & Adaptation)
* ESRS E2- Pollution
* ESRS E3- Water and Marine Resources
* ESRS E4- Biodiversity and Ecosystems
* ESRS E5- Resource Use and Circular Economy
These standardsalign with the environmental objectives of the EU Taxonomy Regulation(Regulation (EU)
2020/852) andrequire organizations to report on their material environmental impacts, risks, and opportunities (IROs).
* A. Social impact and labor rights:#Incorrect, as this belongs to theSocial (S) section(ESRS S1 - S4).
* B. Financial performance information:#Incorrect, as this is part offinancial reporting, not ESRS environmental disclosures.
* D. Corporate governance and board diversity:#Incorrect, as governance matters are covered under ESRS G1 Business Conduct.
* Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772
* Compilation Explanations January - November 2024
Why Other Options Are Incorrect:Official References:

According to the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) under the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, stakeholders are defined as individuals or groups who can affect or be affected by the undertaking. The ESRS distinguishes between two main groups of stakeholders:
* Affected stakeholders: These are individuals or groups whose interests are affected or could be affected - positively or negatively - by the undertaking's activities and its direct and indirect business relationships across its value chain.
* Users of sustainability statements: These include primary users of general-purpose financial reporting (e.g., existing and potential investors, lenders, and other creditors such as asset managers, credit institutions, and insurance undertakings) and other users, including the undertaking's business partners, trade unions, social partners, civil society and non-governmental organizations, governments, analysts, and academics.
Furthermore, engagement with affected stakeholders is a crucial aspect of the undertaking's ongoing due diligence process and sustainability materiality assessment. This involves identifying and assessing actual and potential negative impacts to inform the materiality assessment process for sustainability reporting.
Official References:
* Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772 of 31 July 2023 supplementing Directive 2013/34
/EU on sustainability reporting standards.
* ESRS 1: General Requirements, Section 3.1 (Stakeholders and their relevance to the materiality assessment process).

Thegoal of assurancein sustainability reporting is toconfirm the reliabilityof sustainability disclosures, ensuring that reported information onrisks, management strategies, and performance dataisaccurate and verifiable.
Key aspects ofsustainability assuranceinclude:
* Evaluating the credibility of reported sustainability risksand how organizations manage them.
* Assessing compliance with CSRD and ESRS assurance requirements.
* Ensuring data integrity and alignmentwith financial and sustainability disclosures.
* Enhancing investor confidencein an organization's sustainability reporting.
* CSRD and ESRS Assurance Requirements (Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, Section 5.2)- Specifies assurance requirements for sustainability reporting.
* EU Sustainable Finance Platform Report (2025)- Confirms assurance processes are necessary to enhance trust in sustainability data.
Official References:

ESRS 2 IRO-1 requires organizations to disclose their process for identifyingimpacts, risks, and opportunitiesand assess theirmateriality. This includes detailing whether and howaffected stakeholders were consulted during the process. Sincerisks and opportunitiestypically stem fromimpacts, the process of impact materiality assessmentserves as a natural starting point before evaluating theirfinancial materiality.
* Identification of Impacts, Risks, and Opportunities (IROs):
* Organizations must disclose their methodology for identifying materialimpacts, risks, and opportunities.
* These include bothactual and potential impactson people and the environment, considering short-, medium-, and long-term horizons.
* Consultation with Affected Stakeholders:
* ESRS 2 IRO-1 requires disclosure of whether and how theconsultation with affected stakeholdersinfluenced the identification of material sustainability matters.
* Stakeholder engagement is crucial in determining the scope and severity of sustainability impacts.
* Role of Impact Materiality:
* Impact materiality assessmentprecedes the evaluation of risks and opportunities.
* Since mostrisks and opportunitiesoriginate fromimpacts, impact materiality serves as the starting pointfor assessing theirfinancial materiality.
* Financial Materiality Evaluation:
* Financial materiality pertains to the extent that a sustainability matteraffects the undertaking's financial position, performance, cash flows, or cost of capital.
* It evaluates whether an impact or risk could reasonably be expected to have amaterial financial effecton the organization.
* "Impacts, risks, and opportunities"correctly defines the scope of ESRS 2 IRO-1.
* "Affected stakeholders"are explicitly referenced as a crucial element in the disclosure process.
* "Risks and opportunities"emerge from sustainability impacts, making impact materiality the logical starting point.
* "Financial materiality"is the final step, determining the financial significance of sustainability risks and opportunities.
Why is B the Correct Answer?Thus, the correct sequence isB: impacts, risks, and opportunities; affected stakeholders; risks and opportunities; financial materiality.
Official Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, various EFRAG guidance documents, and CSRD-related references:
* Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, Annex I: ESRS 2 IRO-1 materiality assessment requirements.
* EFRAG Compilation of Explanations (January - November 2024): Explanation of ESRS 2 IRO-1 and its link to impact materiality.

ACSRD assurance engagementprimarily focuses onensuring compliance with the ESRSand theproper digital tagging of sustainability information. The elements included in the assurance scope are:
* B. Compliance of the reporting with the relevant ESRS#
* Assurance engagements under the CSRDverify whether sustainability reports comply with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).
* Theassurance provider reviews disclosuresto ensure alignment withESRS requirements, includingdouble materiality assessments and mandatory data points.
* C. Compliance with the requirement to tag the sustainability reporting#
* CSRD requires that sustainability information bedigitally taggedusing theEuropean Single Electronic Format (ESEF)to ensuremachine readability and comparability.
* Assurance providers verify the correct application of this tagging requirement, ensuring consistency withXBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) standards.
* ACSRD assurance engagement does not cover financial statements.
* Financial audits are conducted separately, under theInternational Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) or local GAAP requirements.
* Sustainability assurance only applies tonon-financial sustainability disclosuresunderESRS.
Why is A. Verification of the company's financial statements#incorrect?Conclusion:Thescope of a CSRD assurance engagementincludes:#Compliance with ESRS(B)#Verification of digital tagging(C)#Not financial statement audits(A) Official Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, various EFRAG guidance documents, and CSRD-related references:
* Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2772, ESRS assurance scope.
* EU Sustainable Finance Platform Report (2025): Confirmation ofdigital tagging as part of CSRD assurance.