ESG Reporting Training in Ireland: How Finance Teams Are Upskilling for CSRD

CSRD has changed the ESG reporting landscape in Ireland. Where sustainability reporting was previously a voluntary activity for most Irish companies — or at most a compliance exercise for the largest organisations — it is now a mandatory, audited obligation with real regulatory consequences for non-compliance. And the responsibility for producing that reporting sits squarely with the finance function.

The challenge is that most finance professionals in Ireland did not train in sustainability reporting. The ACCA, CPA Ireland, CIMA, and ACA Ireland qualifications all now include ESG content, but qualified accountants who completed their training before 2023 or 2024 are working with frameworks and requirements that are genuinely new to them. Structured ESG and CSRD training is increasingly how finance teams are closing that gap.

What ESG Reporting Training Actually Covers

Good ESG reporting training for finance teams is not a general introduction to sustainability. Finance professionals do not need to understand the full breadth of the ESG landscape — they need to understand the specific reporting obligations that apply to their organisation, the data collection processes required to meet those obligations, and their role in the assurance process.

Structured training focused on finance teams covers the following:

The CSRD scope and timeline for Irish entities

Understanding exactly which Irish companies are in scope, when, and what the reporting timeline looks like. Large Irish companies (those meeting two of the three thresholds: more than 250 employees, more than €40m turnover, more than €20m total assets) entered scope for FY2025 reporting. Mid-size companies will follow. The scope determination itself requires analysis that finance teams need to be equipped to carry out.

The European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS)

The ESRS are the standards against which CSRD reports are prepared — the ESG equivalent of IFRS. There are cross-cutting standards that apply to all in-scope entities and topic-specific standards covering environmental, social, and governance areas. Finance professionals need a working understanding of the structure of the ESRS, how materiality assessment works under CSRD, and which disclosures are mandatory versus subject to materiality.

The finance function's role in sustainability data

CSRD places the sustainability statement inside the management report — alongside the financial statements, under the same governance and assurance framework. Finance teams are responsible for the data collection processes, internal controls, and audit trail that support the sustainability statement. Training covers what that means practically for a finance function that is starting from scratch.

Limited assurance requirements

CSRD requires limited assurance on the sustainability statement from year one for large companies, moving to reasonable assurance in due course. Finance teams need to understand what this means for how sustainability data is collected, documented, and reviewed — the same disciplines that apply to financial reporting assurance apply here.

In-Person vs Online ESG Training

For ESG and CSRD topics specifically, in-person training tends to be more effective than online learning for finance teams. The subject matter involves a high degree of organisational specificity — the materiality assessment process, for example, is highly dependent on the nature of your business — and the ability to discuss your specific situation with a facilitator and peers is valuable in a way that a pre-recorded online course cannot replicate.

In-person training also tends to generate more useful peer discussion. Finance professionals from different Irish organisations working through the same CSRD challenges learn as much from each other's approaches as from the structured content.

ESG Training Options in Dublin

Learnsignal's Dublin Training Academy runs a half-day CSRD and ESG Reporting session specifically designed for Irish finance teams. The session focuses on practical compliance rather than high-level sustainability strategy, covering scope determination, ESRS requirements, data collection obligations, and assurance preparation. It qualifies for 3 CPD hours.

In-house delivery is also available for organisations that want to bring the training to their team — particularly useful for finance functions preparing for their first CSRD report where a shared understanding across the team is important.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need ESG expertise before attending CSRD training?

No — good CSRD training for finance teams is designed for professionals with a financial reporting background, not an ESG background. It builds from the financial reporting disciplines you already have and applies them to the sustainability reporting context.

Does ESG training count as CPD for accountants?

Yes — structured ESG and CSRD training is relevant CPD for all qualified accountants given the mandatory nature of sustainability reporting obligations. It counts as verifiable CPD with ACCA, CPA Ireland, CIMA, and ACA Ireland.

How urgent is CSRD training for Irish finance teams?

For large Irish companies already in scope for FY2025, this is urgent — first reports are due in 2026. For mid-size companies entering scope in subsequent years, the preparation time required means training should not be left until the last minute. The data collection infrastructure required for CSRD compliance takes time to build.

Is CSRD training available for the whole finance team or just the CFO?

Both — strategic sessions for CFOs and Finance Directors cover governance and oversight, while team-level sessions cover the practical data collection and reporting obligations. In-house delivery allows both levels to be addressed in a single tailored programme.

For upcoming ESG and CSRD training sessions in Dublin, see the full programme at learnsignal.com/cpd.