BDO in Ukraine Publishes Its ESG Report 2025: From GRI to ESRS

BDO in Ukraine has published its ESG Report for 2025, marking the next step in the development of its sustainability reporting framework. 

The key change in this reporting cycle was the transition from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards to the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). Along with this shift, the company enhanced its methodology for identifying material ESG topics, as well as for collecting, analysing, and disclosing sustainability-related information.

For BDO in Ukraine, this transition is more than a change in reporting structure. It is a practical step in advancing a systematic approach to sustainability and an opportunity to navigate firsthand the process of aligning ESG reporting with European requirements, a challenge increasingly faced by Ukrainian businesses.

Why is BDO in Ukraine transitioning from GRI to ESRS?

In previous reporting periods, BDO in Ukraine used the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, one of the most widely adopted international sustainability reporting frameworks. GRI provided the foundation for a structured approach to disclosing information on the company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impacts.

However, the regulatory landscape for ESG reporting in Europe is evolving. The European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) are becoming the foundation of the European corporate sustainability reporting framework and are directly linked to the requirements of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

For Ukrainian businesses, this direction is also gaining strategic importance in the context of Ukraine’s European integration, as well as cooperation with international corporate groups, investors, financial institutions, donors, and European partners.

This is why, for the latest reporting cycle, BDO in Ukraine aligned its reporting approach with ESRS, further developing its ESG reporting framework in line with European requirements and applying in practice approaches that are becoming increasingly relevant to its clients.

What has changed methodologically?

The transition from GRI to ESRS involves far more than a different reporting structure or a new set of disclosure requirements.

It reflects a fundamental shift in the approach to sustainability reporting.

1. Greater focus on double materiality

One of the core principles of ESRS is double materiality.

This means that sustainability-related matters are assessed from two perspectives simultaneously:

• impact materiality: how the company’s activities affect, or may potentially affect, people and the environment;
• financial materiality: how sustainability matters, ESG-related risks, and opportunities may affect the company itself, including its financial performance, development, and long-term resilience.

This approach enables a shift from a general description of ESG activities to a more structured identification of the sustainability-related matters that are material to the company and its stakeholders.

2. From a set of ESG metrics to a disclosure framework

ESRS requires a comprehensive approach to reporting. The focus is not only on quantitative ESG metrics, but also on how a company manages the related impacts, risks, and opportunities.

As a result, high-quality sustainability reporting requires clear links between material matters, corporate policies, actions, targets, metrics, and governance processes.

Consequently, the report becomes more than a list of ESG initiatives implemented over the course of a year. It reflects the extent to which sustainability-related matters are embedded in the company’s governance and management systems.

3. More structured ESG data collection

Another significant change relates to data management.

The transition to ESRS requires the systematic organisation of information sources, the designation of responsible individuals, the alignment of calculation methodologies, and the establishment of a consistent process for collecting ESG data.

In practice, this means that preparing a high-quality ESG report begins long before the report itself is drafted. Companies need to determine what data is required, where it originates, who is responsible for its quality, and which internal processes and supporting documentation substantiate it.

4. Strengthening the role of corporate policies and internal processes

ESG reporting is becoming increasingly closely linked to a company’s actual governance framework.

If a company declares a particular approach to environmental, social, or governance matters, it is important that this approach is supported by appropriate policies, procedures, accountabilities, targets, and control mechanisms.

As a result, preparing an ESG report may highlight the need to develop or update corporate and organisational policies, environmental policies, ESG action plans, and other internal documents.

5. ESG reporting becomes a management tool, not just a communication tool

As a result, the role of the report itself is also evolving.

ESG reporting is gradually moving beyond describing implemented initiatives and becoming a systematic tool that helps companies assess their impacts, risks, and opportunities, identify priorities, set targets, and monitor progress.

This is the approach that BDO in Ukraine is committed to developing consistently within its own practice.

Why can BDO in Ukraine’s experience be valuable for Ukrainian businesses?

The transition to the European model of sustainability reporting is a complex process.

Simply preparing an ESG report is not enough. Before doing so, companies need to assess the current state of their ESG processes, identify material matters, evaluate the availability and quality of data, review corporate policies, assign responsibilities, and establish a reporting methodology.

BDO in Ukraine is also undergoing this process within its own sustainability reporting framework. This enables us to view sustainability reporting requirements not only from the perspective of a consultant, but also from the practical standpoint of an organisation that is continuously enhancing its own processes.

Our experience confirms that a high-quality ESG report is the result of systematic ESG efforts embedded throughout the organisation, not the starting point of those efforts.

How does BDO in Ukraine support businesses in ESG and sustainability?

The BDO in Ukraine team helps companies turn sustainability requirements into a clear and practical framework for action, from assessing their current state to developing an ESG strategy and preparing sustainability reports.

Our sustainability services include:

• ESG reporting. We help companies assess existing ESG data and processes, identify gaps, develop a disclosure structure, and prepare reporting in line with relevant standards and business needs.
• Development of corporate and organisational policies. We support the creation and updating of internal policies and governance documents required for the systematic management of sustainability-related matters and compliance with the expectations of partners, investors, donors, and the evolving regulatory landscape.
• Development of ESG action plans and environmental policies. We help companies identify ESG priorities, define objectives, actions, and responsibilities, and develop a practical roadmap for implementation.
• Development of long-term strategies for integrating ESG across all aspects of the business. We help companies move from standalone ESG initiatives to a systematic approach embedded in strategy, risk management, and operational processes.
• Health, Safety and Environment (HSE). We help companies strengthen a systematic approach to managing relevant environmental and social aspects of their operations.

We also help companies assess their readiness for ESRS, GRI, IFRS S1, and IFRS S2 adoption and determine the reporting approach that best aligns with regulatory requirements, business structure, and stakeholder expectations.

From ESG reporting to long-term business resilience

BDO in Ukraine’s experience in preparing its ESG Report 2025 once again demonstrates that the transition to modern sustainability reporting is not about producing a single document. It is a process that encompasses strategy, data, corporate policies, internal processes, accountability, and the overall governance framework for managing sustainability-related matters. That is why preparing for new reporting requirements should begin with an understanding of the company’s current state and the development of a practical roadmap for the steps ahead.

If your company is planning to prepare an ESG report, transition from GRI to ESRS, evaluate its readiness for European sustainability reporting requirements, or systematically integrate ESG into its operations, the BDO in Ukraine team is ready to support you at every stage of this process.

Learn more about BDO in Ukraine’s sustainability services.