With the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) kicking in for around 71,000 European businesses over the next few years, thousands are working to get their heads around the complexities of this new directive.

From understanding the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) to conducting double materiality assessments, collecting data across 1,144 potential data points, and preparing audit-ready reports, achieving CSRD compliance is anything but straightforward.

And if these Europe-wide requirements weren’t challenging enough, some regions add their own layers of complexity. While the CSRD sets the overarching framework, regional regulations can introduce additional requirements based on local contexts.

For Dutch companies under the CSRD’s scope, 3810N is a must-know standard. This mandatory ESG assurance framework, designed specifically for the Netherlands, provides a structured methodology for auditors to verify the accuracy and reliability of sustainability data.

In this article, we’ll explore the essentials of Standard 3810N and its critical role in ensuring sustainability assurance.

3810N assurance for ESG: what is it?

Standard 3810N—officially titled "Assurance-opdrachten inzake maatschappelijke verslagen"—is a Dutch assurance standard tailored for engagements related to sustainability reporting. It applies to all assurance engagements for financial years beginning on or after December 15, 2023.

It was developed by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Beroepsorganisatie van Accountants (NBA), which is the Royal Netherlands Institute of Chartered Accountants. The NBA is responsible for setting professional standards and providing guidance for accountants in the Netherlands, including those related to sustainability assurance.

This standard, tailored to Dutch organizations, aligns with ISAE 3000, an international framework for assurance engagements on non-financial information, ensuring consistency with global best practices while addressing local requirements. It provides a framework for auditors to assess and assure the reliability of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reports.

Auditors use 3810N to offer independent external assurance on ESG reporting, ensuring that the information presented is accurate and trustworthy. This process can involve either limited or reasonable assurance levels, depending on stakeholder and regulatory requirements.

Quick recap: Assurance under the CSRD

In case you weren’t aware, obtaining assurance—or in other words, having your sustainability report verified by an independent auditor—is a mandatory part of CSRD compliance.

Limited assurance vs. reasonable assurance

There are two levels of assurance you must aware of under the CSRD:

• Limited assurance provides a moderate level of confidence in the accuracy and reliability of reported information. The auditor performs fewer detailed procedures than for reasonable assurance and typically concludes that nothing has come to their attention to indicate the information is materially misstated. It's less thorough but still provides credible validation.
• Reasonable assurance provides a high level of confidence that the reported information is free from material misstatement. It involves more extensive procedures, such as detailed testing and analysis, to conclude that the information is accurate with a high degree of certainty. It is the most rigorous form of assurance.

Assurance timeline under the CSRD

Under the CSRD, assurance will be phased in gradually to ensure businesses have time to adapt to more stringent assurance requirements. Here’s the timeline to keep in mind:

• Until October 1, 2026, companies must obtain limited assurance according to national standards. For example, in the Netherlands, auditors must rely on Standard 3810N.
• After October 1, 2026, the EU plans to implement standardized limited assurance requirements across member states, ensuring consistency in approach.
• By October 1, 2028, the EU plans to transition to reasonable assurance standards, depending on feasibility and readiness. This represents a higher level of scrutiny compared to limited assurance.
• By December 31, 2028, the European Commission will evaluate the sustainability assurance market, aiming to improve the quality of assurance and broaden the pool of providers.

Assurance is good for business

Despite being mandatory under the CSRD, assurance also offers numerous business benefits. It ensures your ESG disclosures present a reliable view of your policies and operations related to corporate social responsibility.  

Not only can this enhance the credibility of your sustainability reports but companies that undergo ESG assurance report significant advantages: increased market share (56%), reduced costs (48%), and even the development of new business models (46%).

Why the 3810N standard is important for accountants

For accountants specifically, Standard 3810N is more than just a compliance requirement—it’s a framework that ensures:

1. Accuracy and reliability: By adhering to 3810N, accountants can verify the accuracy of ESG data, which builds stakeholder trust.
2. Alignment with global standards: The standard ensures consistency with ISAE 3000, positioning Dutch organizations for global credibility.
3. Support for CSRD compliance: With 3810N, accountants have the tools they need to meet CSRD requirements and provide valuable assurance services.

ISSB, IAASB, ISAE, EFRAG, CSRD, 3810N: how to make sense of it all

On your journey to CSRD compliance, you’ll no doubt come across a lot of confusing acronyms and terminology. Here’s an overview of some frequently used phrases to help you make sense of it all.

• ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board): Focuses on global sustainability reporting standards and frameworks to ensure consistency across borders.
• IAASB (International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board): Develops global standards for auditing, including ISAE 3000, which is the foundation for non-financial assurance engagements.
• ISAE 3000: A widely recognized international standard for assurance engagements on non-financial information, which serves as the basis for 3810N.
• EFRAG (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group): Advises the European Commission on the development of the ESRS under the CSRD.
• CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive): EU legislation that mandates comprehensive sustainability reporting for companies within its scope.
• 3810N: The Dutch-specific assurance standard for verifying sustainability data, aligned with ISAE 3000 and tailored to meet local requirements.

The CSRD and its legal requirements

The CSRD represents a significant expansion of sustainability reporting obligations for businesses in the EU. Here are three key legal requirements to study closely:

1. Conducting a double materiality assessment

The double materiality assessment is the first step in achieving CSRD compliance. This is the methodology to determine which of the ten ESRS topical standards are ‘material’ i.e. relevant to include in your report. 

Companies must assess both their impact on society and the environment and how sustainability issues affect their business.

2. Reporting detailed ESG disclosures

Based on the results of the double materiality assessment, companies must then compile the necessary data to report on the material topics. With 2 cross-cutting standards, 10 ESG topics, 37 subtopics, and 72 sub-sub-topics to address, this step is no doubt the most complex and time consuming. 

In fact, one sustainability expert estimated it would take 375 hours just to write the responses and input the data into reporting documents. That’s not even including the time it would take to gather data from multiple sources across the value chain!

3. Assurance mandates

Once the sustainability report is written, it then requires third-party assurance to ensure data accuracy and reliability. From structuring and formatting the report correctly to digitally tagging information using the ESRS XBRL taxonomy, there’s a lot to think about to ensure your report is audit-proof. Check out some CSRD reporting best practices here.

Annual reporting over 2024

Large companies already under the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) must begin reporting under the CSRD in 2025, covering the 2024 financial year.

Reporting in 2025 and 2026

From 2026, other large companies (meeting two out of three criteria: 250+ employees, €50M+ net turnover, €25M+ assets) will need to comply with reports covering the 2025 financial year.

By 2027, listed SMEs will be required to submit their first reports under the CSRD.

Getting started with CSRD compliance using the right software

Understanding the complexities of the CSRD and regional requirements like 3810N can feel overwhelming, but the right software can make all the difference.

Coolset, the leading sustainability management platform for mid-market companies, simplifies compliance with the CSRD and 3810N standards. From conducting double materiality assessments to streamlining data collection and producing audit-ready reports, Coolset equips your business with everything you need for seamless sustainability reporting.

Our audit-ready tools enable you to generate accurate reports in XBRL, PDF, and Word formats, complete with supporting documentation and detailed audit trails. 

Beyond ensuring end-to-end compliance, we also keep you informed about every regulatory update and emerging requirement, including any changes to standards. 

Take the first step toward hassle-free compliance and sustainability success by exploring our self-guided product tours or booking a free one-on-one advisory call with a Coolset expert today.