With the help of the EACB, Accountancy Europe developed a checklist for accountants and advisors to help their SME clients prepare for NFI requirements, whether they stem from legislation, banks or supply chain partners. As SMEs sometimes face difficulties with the reporting of non-financial information to their market partners and the prioritisation of sustainability requirements, this checklist aims at helping them to build their sustainability profile and enable them to play their vital part in the green transition of the European economy.
This checklist also follows-up on the webinar “Bridging expectations: what NFI from SMEs?”.
At the occasion of the publication of the checklist, EACB CEO Nina Schindler stated:
“SMEs represent the local economy. For most European co-operative banks they are the key customer group. Especially on the local level is where the transition to a more sustainable economy has to take place. To properly steer their companies towards sustainability, entrepreneurs need a clear picture of their ESG performance like of their financial situation. And banks require their clients’ ESG data to comply with requirements on sustainability reporting and to properly manage the risks of their loan book. It is therefore key to provide appropriate tools for SMEs, realistic and hands-on solutions that can be applied in a voluntary, balanced and proportionate manner. Imposing complicated, costly burdens must be avoided. Solely in this way, we can take SMEs with us on the journey to a sustainable economy. We are confident that the checklist will be useful in this regard. EACB members were glad to bring expertise and views along the process.“