CSRD workshop at The Hague University of Applied Sciences

On June 24, 2025, I had the honor of organizing a workshop on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) for the Center of Expertise Mission Zero. I gave the participants a short introduction to the CSRD and the Omnibus proposals and what this means for a knowledge institution like The Hague University of Applied Sciences.

The workshop started with an overview of the broader EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan, which focuses on rules such as the SFDR, EU Taxonomy and CSDDD. These frameworks aim to align the financial system with the EU Green Deal, combat greenwashing and scale up sustainable investments. The CSRD plays a key role in this, as it requires organisations to report on environmental, social and governance (ESG) in a standardised and verifiable way.

Double materiality as a compass

The double materiality analysis as part of CSRD looks at both the impact that the organization itself has on people and the environment (inside-out), as well as how sustainability issues influence the financial performance and value creation of the organization (outside-in). This makes CSRD not only a compliance instrument, but a strategic compass. During the workshop, the participants were given the assignment to apply the double materiality analysis to The Hague as an organization.

Opportunities for mission zero and education

We then discussed what role Mission Zero can play in this. For Mission Zero and higher education, frameworks such as the CSRD offer an excellent opportunity to take the lead. Use can be made of the guidelines that DUO and OC&W have drawn up together with partners with the aim of reporting fully digitally and with assurance by 2027 at the latest. This means: conducting stakeholder analyses, selecting relevant themes and substantiating the impact well, so that sustainability is firmly anchored in education and research.

Together towards a future-proof sector

The central message of the afternoon was clear: “It’s not about the rules, it’s about the movement.” CSRD is not a checklist, but a way to structurally integrate sustainability into strategy, policy and practice. In this way, transparency becomes a lever for trust and positive change.