Exploring the Interoperability of Global Frameworks with KEY ESG

At KEY ESG’s Q3 Sustainability Summit which took place in central London on the 11th September, an expert panel explored how global sustainability reporting frameworks can work together to drive real impact. Moderated by Heleen van Poecke, CEO of KEY ESG, the conversation brought together leading voices from across the sustainability landscape: Anna Dauteuil (EFRAG), Sarah-Jane Denton (Travers Smith), Dr Pendar Ostovar (Science Based Targets initiative – SBTi), and Sebastian Leape (Natcap). This discussion was a chance for customers and members of KEY ESG’s network to learn and share ideas about how to use interoperable reporting frameworks to enhance sustainability processes and move beyond compliance to drive impact in 2026 and beyond.

Below is a detailed summary of the discussion, highlighting the key themes and takeaways.

Setting the Scene: Why Interoperability Matters

Heleen opened the session by underscoring a common challenge: companies must comply with a patchwork of sustainability regulations and voluntary standards across jurisdictions. With new regimes such as the UK Sustainability Reporting Standard (SRS) emerging, aligning multiple frameworks – CSRD, IFRS S1/S2, TNFD, TCFD and others – has never been more critical. The panellists agreed that “interoperability” – the ability of these standards to work together – is essential for businesses to both meet compliance requirements and drive real-world environmental and social impact.

Harmonising Global Frameworks

Anna Dauteuil shared insights from EFRAG’s work on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). She stressed that CSRD is designed not just as a compliance exercise but as a strategic tool to integrate sustainability into core business decision-making. Anna emphasised the importance of stakeholder engagement: EFRAG received nearly 1,500 comments from over 400 stakeholders during the recent consultation of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and is carefully weighing this feedback to improve the standards. She highlighted the need to balance ambitious European practices with global applicability, ensuring that disclosure methods – like Scope 1 greenhouse gas accounting – are consistent worldwide, while allowing flexibility for local realities.

Evolving Standards and Financing the Transition

Pendar Ostovar described how the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is evolving from focusing solely on absolute emission reductions to incorporating alignment targets for financial institutions. Rather than simply selling high-emitting assets to meet portfolio carbon goals – an action that can appear to reduce emissions without real-economy impact – SBTi encourages banks and investors to work with high-emitting companies to finance their transition. Pendar detailed the SBTi’s newest set of standards: the Financial Institutions Net Zero Standards, which has been developed with the unique requirements of the financial services sector in mind.

Legal and Governance Readiness

Sarah-Jane Denton, drawing on her experience advising companies on TCFD, CSRD and environmental law, reinforced the practical legal and governance implications of this evolving landscape. She outlined steps companies can take now to prepare for the incoming UK SRS and to integrate nature-related disclosures like those under TNFD, ensuring governance structures are robust enough to adapt as standards converge.

Nature Takes Centre Stage

Sebastian Leape explained that “nature reporting” encompasses all the other environmental metrics outside of energy usage – waste management, land use, water and biodiversity. In CSRD terms, it spans categories E2 to E5. Sebastian provided practical insight into the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework and explained how the LEAP methodology guides organisations through four steps to deliver nature reports:

1. Locate their interactions with nature - mapping where operations, supply chains, or investments intersect with ecosystems.
2. Evaluate the organisation’s dependencies and impacts on natural systems.
3. Assess nature-related risks and opportunities, such as water scarcity, deforestation exposure, or pollination loss.
4. Prepare to respond - integrating findings into business strategy, setting measurable targets, and reporting transparently.

Sebastian noted that adopting frameworks like TNFD can feel complex, but the LEAP approach provides a clear, actionable roadmap that helps companies connect nature data with enterprise risk management.

Reporting vs. Action: Striking the Right Balance

A recurring theme was the tension between the time companies spend on reporting and their ability to deliver real sustainability outcomes. It was observed that some organisations are so consumed by regulatory reporting that resources for on-the-ground action are stretched. Yet all panellists agreed that reporting and driving impact are “two sides of the same coin,” and that well-designed standards should embed sustainability into business strategy, not distract from it. 

Technology as an Enabler

Technology providers like KEY ESG play a critical role in making sustainability reporting efficient and actionable. By automating data collection, integrating with existing systems and mapping single data points across multiple frameworks, technology platforms can reduce duplication and free up sustainability teams to focus on driving impact rather than just compliance.

Key Takeaways for Business Leaders

The panel concluded with practical guidance for companies:

• Engage in public consultations for standards like ESRS and SBTi’s net-zero frameworks to help shape workable regulations.
• Prepare early for upcoming regulatory changes (be it CSRD, California Climate Disclosure Laws or the UK’s SRS) by building the reporting processes and gaining buy-in across your organisations.
• Integrate reporting with action, ensuring that data collection supports strategic decision-making and real-world impact.
• Leverage technology to streamline workflows and achieve the same rigour in sustainability reporting as in financial reporting.

Moving Forward

The discussion at KEY ESG’s Q3 Sustainability Summit made it clear: achieving global sustainability goals requires collaboration across regulators, standard setters, companies and technology providers. Interoperability is not just a technical exercise; it is the key to turning sustainability reporting into a powerful driver of business transformation.

About KEY ESG and Natcap

KEY ESG is a global sustainability software provider for organisations and private equity firms, enabling end-to-end sustainability management from data collection, reporting, analysis and improvement. The platform enables organisations to structure their reporting against diverging and overlapping frameworks such as CSRD, SFDR, IFRS S1 and S2, TNFD and California Climate Disclosure Laws, removing the challenge of repeated compliance tasks and duplication of reporting. 

Through its partnership with Natcap, KEY ESG enables customers to integrate nature intelligence and TNFD-aligned insights into their sustainability strategies, helping them move beyond reporting to deliver tangible environmental and business impact.