11 courses to help you determine which sustainability reporting and disclosure tools to use

Editor’s note: This is part of a series on closing the sustainability skills gap that includes more than 300 training opportunities in areas such as climate and net-zero strategy, procurement and supply chain, ESG and sustainable finance, professional certifications and free upskilling.

A lot has changed in the world of sustainability reporting and disclosure in what feels like a very short few years. The endless stream of announcements about mergers, standards updates, new regulations and pauses on regulations has been a bit of a blur. If you’ve been struggling to keep up with it all, you’re not alone.    

Below is an overview of the four most significant sustainability reporting standards (technically three reporting standards and a disclosure system) as well as a collection of 11 training opportunities that can help you learn how various reporting tools relate to one another and determine what your company is required to report on. The next article, which comes out Friday, will include 51 training opportunities that dive into the details of each specific standard. 

Several of these organizations do work beyond corporate reporting; for the sake of brevity, the chart and descriptions below focus exclusively on their corporate work.

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

The GRI Standards are the most universally applicable set of sustainability reporting standards in the world. More than 14,000 organizations of all sizes, types and geographies use the GRI standards to be transparent about and accountable for their impacts on the economy, environment and society. They are designed to address the needs of a variety of stakeholders and cover environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics. A key pillar of the GRI Standards is double materiality, which requires the consideration of both the impact of ESG issues on the performance of a company (financial materiality) and the company’s impact on the economy, environment and society (impact materiality). 

The European Commission

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is a regulation in the European Union that requires certain companies in the EU or with significant activity in the EU to report on sustainability performance across ESG topics. The CSRD also defines who has to report and when they have to start reporting. The European Commission has estimated that 50,000 companies will be required to report annually. The European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) specify what information companies must report and how they must report it. Key requirements are that companies must conduct a double materiality assessment of their entire value chain to determine what to include in their reports, report Scope 3 emissions and obtain third-party assurance. 

The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation

The IFRS Foundation issues the most widely adopted corporate financial reporting standards in the world. In 2023, the IFRS Foundation issued its first sustainability standards, IFRS S1 general requirements for disclosure and IFRS S2 Climate-related disclosures. These standards incorporate and build on the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Standards, Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations and other important frameworks and are designed to serve as a global baseline for the reporting of sustainability information and its effects on a company’s financial performance. While these investor-focused standards are currently voluntary, they are expected to become required by the countries and financial markets that adopt them. More than 20 jurisdictions representing over half the global economy by gross domestic product have announced steps to use the standards in their legal or regulatory frameworks. 

CDP 

CDP is a global environmental disclosure system that helps companies to measure and manage environmentally related risks and opportunities. Companies typically submit responses to the CDP questionnaire at the request of investors, banks or corporate buyers but may disclose voluntarily if desired. Companies are assigned a score from A to D on their disclosures related to climate change, water security and deforestation. CDP’s database is the world’s largest collection of corporate environmental information. Access to this data enables investors and banks to incorporate sustainability considerations into the investment and lending processes and allows corporations to more effectively engage with their suppliers. More than 23,000 companies — including listed companies worth two-thirds of global market capitalization — disclosed through CDP in 2023. 

Practitioners in the United States may be eager for training related to two recent developments: California’s corporate climate disclosure laws and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s climate disclosure rule. Things are still too up in the air for there to be any substantial specific training courses on these yet; however, if you’d like to get a solid foundation in the key concepts, you can learn about greenhouse gas emissions management and the TCFD, and you can check out Persefoni Academy’s free SEC Climate Disclosure: An Executive Primer course which provides important context.

As is often the case with these types of lists, I’m sure I’ve missed some. If your favorite offering isn’t included here, there’s an article with 51 standard-specific trainings coming out Friday. If it’s still missing, I warmly invite you to join the conversation on LinkedIn to tell me and your fellow readers about it. Thanks in advance for your help with bringing these resources out into the open so that more people can get to work on advancing sustainable business practices.

ESG, sustainability and climate reporting courses

These courses provide learners with an understanding of various reporting standards and frameworks and how they relate to one another. Some also offer a tactical understanding of the reporting process and tips for making data collection easier. If you’re new to reporting, one of these courses would be a great place to start learning about the different tools. 

Sustainability and Climate Reporting, the Ultimate Guide from Duncan Wilson and Emilie Pons 

This course is designed to provide someone new to the area of sustainability and climate reporting with a digestible overview of the relevant history, topics, standards and frameworks. It begins with the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 and covers key developments including the publication of the TCFD recommendations, the establishment of the ISSB under the IFRS Foundation, and the passing of the CSRD.

• Cost: $9.99
• Time to complete: 4 hours
• Training format: On-demand videos
• Key topics covered: The Valdez Principles; GRI; SASB; the WRI Greenhouse Gas Protocol; the Science Based Targets Initiative; CDP; TCFD; TNFD; IFRS S1 and S2; The European Green Deal and EU’s Climate Law; CSRD Article 19, double materiality test; ESRS; TCFD, IR and IFRS reconciliation to ESRS; international approaches to reporting

Mastering Sustainability Reporting from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

This course guides practitioners through the steps required to develop an effective sustainability reporting process plan following the best practices outlined in ACCA’s Sustainability Reporting Guide. The focus is on the process of reporting and not on specific standards; however, there is optional content available for learning more about the implementation requirements of IFRS S1 and S2 and the ESRS. 

• Cost: from £165 (approximately $210)
• Time to complete: 6 hours
• Training format: On-demand e-learning, quiz
• Key topics covered: The importance of effective, accurate and standardized sustainability reporting; the eight stages of the reporting cycle; allocating appropriate levels of reporting responsibility; defining data requirements and planning data collection activities; preparing a reporting process plan including verification and continual improvement

Sustainability Reporting Practitioner from Earth Academy

This introductory course broadly explains how to use GRI​, CDP, IR, SASB and TCFD and discusses their similarities and differences. This is part of a suite of offerings from Earth Academy’s School of Strategy and Sustainability Reporting, which also includes courses related to TCFD, the SDGs, the AccountAbility Principles and IR in addition to the courses listed in other sections of this article.

• Cost: €195 (approximately $215)
• Time to complete: 2.5 hours
• Training format: On-demand e-learning, quiz
• Key topics covered: Sustainability and its challenges; what is sustainability reporting; overview of GRI​, CDP, IR, SASB and TCFD

Mastering Corporate Climate Reporting from Terra.do

This intermediate-level course will enable learners to navigate global mandatory and voluntary climate disclosure requirements, understand TCFD recommendations, assess data materiality and understand how climate data is integrated into financial reporting. Participants will gain experience with assessing which frameworks a company must comply with, drafting a sustainability report’s table of contents and creating a corporate disclosure checklist. 

• Next start date: Nov. 26
• Cost: $399
• Time to complete: 4 weeks, 1.5 hours per week
• Training format: Live online classes, assignments
• Key topics covered: Voluntary and mandatory climate financial disclosure reporting requirements; deep dive into TCFD, California SB 253 and 261 and CSRD; the TCFD Knowledge Hub and scenario analysis; integrating sustainability and financial reporting

Climate Disclosure Analyst Certification from Voiz Academy

This program is designed to give participants hands-on experience with corporate disclosure and reporting tools such as the Science-Based Targets initiative, WRI GHG Protocol, TCFD, CDP, CSRD and GRI. Simulations include evaluating an SBTi-based net zero plan, calculating the carbon emissions of a real estate portfolio, evaluating a corporation’s climate risks and opportunities, developing a strategy for improving a company’s CDP score and assessing a corporation’s ESG Score. After it launches Sept. 20, this certification will be added to Voiz Academy’s unlimited sustainability upskilling platform. 

• Cost: $495 for an annual subscription (get 10 percent off with code GB10)
• Time to complete: 36 to 48 hours
• Training format: On-demand e-learning, projects
• Key topics covered: Science-Based target setting; carbon calculation using the WRI GHG Protocol; evaluating climate risks and opportunities using the TCFD recommendations; understanding TCFD, CSRD, GRI and regional disclosure regulations; the 2024 SEC rule; the ESG ratings process and methodologies  

Online Certificate on Sustainability (ESG) Reporting from Sustainability Academy

This certificate program provides a comprehensive overview of reporting regulations, standards and frameworks from around the world including detailed explanations of how several standards relate to each other. There is also guidance on the reporting process, stakeholder mapping and engagement, materiality assessments and assurance.  

• Cost: $530
• Time to complete: 20 to 25 hours
• Training format: On-demand e-learning, quiz
• Key topics covered: Global mandatory ESG disclosures and reporting trends; the SDGs; CSRD and ESRS; GRI 1, 2, 3 and topic standards; UN Global Compact; ISO26000; how to create an ESG report; materiality, double materiality and data collection; external assurance standards AA1000AS and ISAE3000; stakeholder engagement

Join the conversation 

I hope this article has helped you find at least one great new resource to help you better understand and support the sustainability reporting and disclosure process. If I’ve missed one of your favorites or if you want to tell me about a resource that could be relevant to a future article, please join the conversation on LinkedIn and remember to keep an eye out for the next article with 51 standard-specific trainings coming out Friday. Until then!