Review of preparations for CSRD – An examination of the hidden complexity of sustainability reports at Hungarian Public Interest Entities based on interviews

This study investigates the organisational preparedness and challenges Hungarian public interest entities (PIEs) face when implementing the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This paper addresses a novel and relevant aspect of corporate sustainability, providing one of the first systematic, interview-based insights into an area of growing regulatory concern with limited empirical knowledge in the European Union’s evolving sustainability landscape. Through semi-structured interviews conducted with sustainability leaders from eleven companies, this study reveals that regulatory alignment is enhancing reporting transparency, yet transitioning to externally assured non-financial data poses a substantial challenge. Interviewees repeatedly pointed to the assurance process as the forthcoming milestone and one of the most intricate aspects of sustainability reporting. This research suggests that fragmented data systems and rapidly changing reporting standards further impose difficulties for compliance with reporting, which demands greater accuracy, transparency, and methodological rigour. The empirical results offer valuable insights for both practitioners and policymakers.