Configuring the ESRS Questionnaire

Last modified on 2024-08-21

Overview

Once you have created an ESG report as an ESG Master and entered the master data, configure the ESRS questionnaire. The ESRS questionnaire is based on the ESRS requirements, and can be configured individually. The ESG Data Collectors specified in the master data must fill out the ESRS questionnaire once configuration is complete. 

Structure of the ESRS Questionnaire

The ESRS questionnaire is displayed in a tree structure to make it easier to recognize which elements belong to which superordinate element and the current position of the user in the hierarchy. The questionnaire consists of the following hierarchy elements: categories, guidelines, topics, sub-topics, and questions:

Shows the hierarchy of the ESRS questionnaire. Marked in red are in descending order the levels Category, Guideline, Topic, Sub-Topic, Question. Hierarchy of the ESRS questionnaire

The ESRS questionnaire includes the following categories:        

  • General Disclosures
  • Environmental
  • Social
  • Governance

 

Each category provides access to the corresponding ESRS guidelines and the topics, sub-topics, and questions the guideline contains.

You can:

  • Click Expand all or Collapse all at the level of each category to show or hide all subordinate elements.
  • Click the information icon next to the sub-topic or question to view the original text of the guideline the sub-topic or question is based on.
  • Click Preview to display a preview of how the question will be displayed to the ESG Data Collector(s).

 

The guideline text for a question from the ESRS questionnaire is displayed. Guideline text for a question from the ESRS questionnaire
Configuring the ESRS Questionnaire

You can include or exclude questions from the questionnaire by activating or deactivating the respective check box. The following applies:

  • When building a new questionnaire, all elements are included by default.
  • If you include a superordinate element, all of its child elements will also be included.
  • If you exclude a child element, the check box of all its superordinate elements will be changed to to visualize that there is at least one question under the superordinate element that has been excluded from the questionnaire.
  • Content that has been excluded is grayed out.
The options for including or showing questions are displayed. and explained Options for including or excluding questions
Starting data collection

Once you have configured the ESRS questionnaire, you can approve the ESG report for data collection. Once you have done this, the ESG Data Collectors can begin entering data in the ESRS questionnaire and the Emissions Module. Click Start data collection to begin this process.

The structure of the ESRS questionnaire is displayed. The ‘Start data collection’ button is marked in red. Start data collection

Once you have clicked Start data collection, you will not be able to make any more changes to the scope of the ESRS questionnaire. As such, make sure that you have adapted the ESRS questionnaire to suit your needs before data collection begins.