Grants, legislation and regulations

There are various ways that you could qualify for grants when building new, sustainable commercial properties or making sustainable renovations to an existing building. Our Grant Expertise team can help you with this.

There are various grants for solar panels, but it can be difficult to work out which corporate grant for solar panels applies to your business. That’s why we’re happy to explain a bit more about each grant and put you in touch with our specialists.

There are various ways of earning tax relief if you invest in sustainable capital assets. 

More and more businesses are switching to electric vehicles, especially given the introduction of zero-emission zones in the Netherlands (from 1 January 2025). Luckily, the government is encouraging the switch to electric vehicles by providing all kinds of grants. We’ve made a list of grants that may benefit business owners and the conditions and considerations that should be taken into account. 

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is a directive designed to enhance and standardise the sustainability reporting of organisations within the European Union.

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is a directive designed to enhance and standardize sustainability reporting by organizations within the European Union. The primary goal of the CSRD is to ensure transparency and comparability of sustainability data, enabling investors, customers, and other stakeholders to make better-informed decisions.

The CSRD expands the scope of the previous Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) and imposes stricter requirements on companies regarding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting. This means that a wider range of companies, including large enterprises and publicly listed SMEs, are now obliged to provide detailed sustainability information.

This directive requires companies to integrate their sustainability reports into the annual management report. Furthermore, the reports must be audited by an independent, recognized auditor to ensure accuracy and reliability.

In summary, the CSRD encourages companies to integrate sustainability into their operations, contributing to a more sustainable economy within the EU.

These are the criteria for companies required to report under the CSRD:

NFRD Companies:

All companies currently reporting under the NFRD are required to now report under CSRD framework. These are large organizations with more than 500 public interest employees (PIEs) that must report under the CSRD. PIEs include publicly listed companies, banks, insurance companies, and other entities designated by member states as public interest organizations due to their significant public relevance.

Large Companies:

Companies that meet two or more of the following three criteria are required to report according to CSRD:

• More than 250 employees.
• A net turnover of more than €50 million.
• A balance sheet total of more than €25 million.

Publicly Listed SMEs:

• All companies listed on EU-regulated markets, excluding micro-enterprises, are required to report under the CSRD.
• At least one subsidiary or branch in the EU that meets certain criteria.
• Implementation Timelines

The implementation of the CSRD reporting requirements will be phased:

• From the fiscal year 2024 for companies already subject to the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD).
• From the fiscal year 2025 for large companies not currently subject to the NFRD.
• From the fiscal year 2026 for publicly listed SMEs, small and non-complex credit institutions, and insurance companies.
• From the fiscal year 2028 for non-European companies with significant activities in the EU.

The obligation for companies to comply with CSRD reporting has a significant impact on the value chain. Companies need to collect more detailed information from their suppliers about sustainability and social practices, which can lead to stricter selection criteria and collaboration with responsible partners. Additional costs and investments may be required for data collection and analysis, but this also provides opportunities for innovation and competitive advantage. Ultimately, CSRD reporting leads to more sustainable and responsible business operations throughout the value chain.

Transparency and accountability across the entire value chain will be improved. Although SMEs are not required to report themselves, they may be asked to provide ESG information to partners in the value chain. This exposes non-reporting companies to CSRD guidelines and requirements. Therefore, it is wise for SMEs to gain insight into the CSRD and their own value chain.