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The ESAs published their fourth annual report on voluntary disclosures of principal adverse impacts (PAIs) under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) on 9 September 2025. It records continued enhancement in the completeness and quality of PAI disclosures at both entity and product levels, especially among large multinational firms. Smaller entities, however, frequently merge general ESG messaging with SFDR reporting. National Competent Authorities noted uptake of previously highlighted good practices. The report also offers recommendations for NCAs’ supervisory roles and guidance for the European Commission ahead of SFDR’s next review.

The study examines the relationship between ESG variables and financial risk, measured through logarithmic volatility. It introduces the Hierarchical Variable Selection (HVS) algorithm, designed for ESG datasets, which is reported to outperform aggregated ESG scores and traditional selection models by providing higher explanatory power with fewer variables. Findings suggest that ESG risk factors vary across sectors and between large- and small-cap firms, influenced by differences in regulation, expectations, and strategy. The authors highlight the robustness and adaptability of HVS, noting its effectiveness in identifying risk-relevant ESG variables across industries and its potential for broader applications in hierarchical datasets.

This Final Report (EBA/RTS/2025/03) presents draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) under the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) III. It addresses three mandates:
• An operational risk taxonomy with Level 1 event types, Level 2 categories and supplementary attributes (including ESG and ICT risks), to standardise how institutions classify loss events.
• Criteria for deeming the annual‑operational‑risk loss calculation “unduly burdensome” for certain institutions, allowing temporary waivers.
• Rules for adjusting loss‑data sets when firms merge or acquire entities, including currency conversion, re‑classification and fallback proxies.

The preprint article, 𝘿𝙤 𝘽𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙀𝙎𝙂 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙜𝙚? 𝘼 𝙏𝙚𝙭𝙩-𝘽𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝘾𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 explores the 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 in ESG disclosures among leading Italian banks. The authors, Giuseppe Scandurra and Antonio Thomas, employed 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 and 𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 to analyze the textual content of non-financial reports. Their research identifies 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 among the banks: 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱, 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹, and 𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗼𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰. This 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 in how banks communicate their ESG efforts, despite calls for harmonization. Ultimately, the study highlights the 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗦𝗚 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 due to varied reporting styles and suggests a need for more specific standards within the banking sector.

The German and European banking sector is undergoing rapid transformation due to digitalization, ESG integration, regulatory changes, demographic shifts, and increased competition from FinTechs. Key challenges include managing complexity, leveraging AI and data, optimizing business models, and ensuring resilience and security. Banks must adapt quickly to survive, with successful integration of AI and ESG being crucial. Consolidation and evolution towards technology-driven or platform-based approaches are likely. Banks face a "transformation trilemma" of managing digital, regulatory, and ESG changes while maintaining profitability.
THE PAPER IS IN GERMAN

The EBA has launched an ESG dashboard to monitor climate risks across the EU/EEA banking sector using Pillar 3 disclosures. It benchmarks transition and physical risks, revealing high bank exposure (>70%) to carbon-intensive sectors, suggesting significant transition risk. Physical risk exposure is lower (<30%), but data granularity varies. Around half of real estate lending has relatively high energy efficiency, though data relies on estimates. The Green Asset Ratio (GAR) is low (~3%), reflecting the early stage of EU Taxonomy alignment. This framework supports the monitoring of climate-related financial stability risks. The dashboard uses data from December 2023 and June 2024.

The insurance industry supports delaying the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) until 2028 while negotiations continue. Insurance Europe emphasizes the need for more time to assess impacts and avoid excessive regulatory burdens. Key recommendations include reducing CSRD reporting requirements, postponing CSDDD deadlines, simplifying EU Taxonomy rules, and removing Sustainability Risk Plans under Solvency II.

Insurance Europe supports simplifying the EU’s Taxonomy Regulation, advocating for reduced reporting burdens. It calls for suspending the insurance underwriting KPI, introducing a 10% materiality filter for the investment KPI, and simplifying reporting templates. The industry backs EU efforts to enhance sustainability while ensuring practical and effective regulatory measures.

Quantifying ESG risks is challenging due to unique measurement issues beyond traditional financial risks, hindering firm-level and systemic analysis. Concentrated ESG investments by large institutions correlate with systemic risk, as their simultaneous decisions can destabilize markets. Regulatory frameworks promoting diversification are needed to address this "herd behavior." Further research should explore how ESG risks create hidden systemic vulnerabilities.

The paper examines how managers strategically adjust the tone of soft information in ESG reports to maximize compensation. It highlights the trade-offs between exaggeration, internal controls, and future reputational costs. Strong incentives with weak controls lead to extreme biases, impacting regulatory decisions, corporate governance, and investor evaluations of ESG disclosures.