8 top CSRD experts and sustainability influencers in 2024
Discover the leading CSRD experts and sustainability influencers 2024 who are paving the way for a sustainable future.
- CSRD experts on LinkedIn help companies stay on top of fast-moving regulatory changes and practical implementation challenges.
- Influencers in this space range from technical standard-setters at EFRAG to sustainability advocates with mass audiences.
- Following the right voices saves time and helps you prioritise what actually matters for your reporting.
- Germany has a particularly active expert community worth following for both technical detail and strategic perspective.
- You can build your own CSRD knowledge through training courses, resources, and regular engagement with these communities.
The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) covers companies in the EU, but who are the CSRD experts you can follow on social media, especially LinkedIn, on this topic?
CSRD and influencers: how do they fit together?
In 2024 and subsequent years, CSRD becomes even more relevant as companies are required to document their sustainability efforts transparently and comprehensively. Experts and influencers play a crucial role in this context.
They drive the implementation of sustainability strategies and raise awareness in the public and the business world about the need for sustainable action. In this article, we present the leading minds and opinion leaders in the field of CSRD and sustainability in Switzerland.
What is the added value of following CSRD experts?
CSRD experts and influencers play a crucial role in the modern communications landscape, including in the area of sustainability and CSRD. Their relevance comes down to five factors:
- Reach and visibility: Influencers often have a large following on social media. This enables them to spread important messages about sustainability and reach a wide audience effectively.
- Trust and credibility: Many people trust the opinions and recommendations of influencers they perceive as authentic. Influencers can increase awareness of and interest in sustainability issues.
- Education and awareness: CSRD experts communicate complex topics in an understandable and appealing way. They inform and sensitise their followers about sustainable practices, products and news on sustainability reporting.
- Incentive for change: Through their commitment and convincing communication, opinion leaders can promote behavioural change and inspire people and companies to act more sustainably.
- Networking and collaboration: Experts with reach often work with companies, NGOs and other organisations to support and drive sustainable initiatives. This creates synergies and increases the impact of joint efforts.
In summary, CSRD experts and influencers are important players in the field of sustainability and CSRD due to their reach, credibility and ability to communicate complex topics.
Leading CSRD experts
This list of CSRD experts and sustainability influencers is not based on a scientific or statistical study, but on personal preference and the relevance of posts on the LinkedIn career network.
CSRD experts in Germany
Here are some of the leading minds in CSRD in Germany:
- Georg Lanfermann: As President of the DRSC (German Accounting Standards Committee) and Vice-President of the EFRAG Administrative Board, Mr. Lanfermann is directly involved in the development of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). He regularly posts about CSRD news on LinkedIn where he is followed by over 4,000 people.
- Daniel Obst: The LinkedIn Top Voice Sustainability (Germany) is followed by over 10,000 people on the career platform. His posts on CSRD and other sustainability topics are widely liked and with his agency 2020 he supports companies in their implementation.
- Thilo Hitz: The founder and COO of the CSRD software "Daato" regularly posts about sustainability topics that affect companies, such as the CSRD, the CSDDD or the LkSG. He is followed by over 12,000 people on LinkedIn.
- Nadja Picard: As Partner and Global Reporting Leader at the management consultancy PwC, she supports companies in the transformation of their reporting. Almost 6,000 people follow her on LinkedIn.
- Alexander Spahn: Admittedly, I don't see myself as an influencer. However, with the CSRD Compass newsletter, my 3,500 followers on LinkedIn and many readers of the blog posts on CSR-Tools, I reach numerous people who want to learn more about CSRD in easy-to-understand language. In addition to practical tips, e.g. on creating the materiality assessment, I regularly point out relevant CSRD webinars, present ESG tools and post other updates on the CSRD, the EU taxonomy and other relevant regulations as part of the EU Green Deal.
General sustainability influencers
In addition to people who explicitly position themselves as CSRD experts, there are influencers with a much greater reach for the topic of sustainability.
- Luisa Neubauer: The climate activist is one of the best-known faces of the Fridays for Future movement in Germany. She is a strong advocate for climate protection and sustainability and has over 30,000 followers on LinkedIn.
- Nico Rosberg: The former Formula 1 world champion has dedicated himself to sustainability after his racing career. He is the founder of the GREENTECH Festival and an investor in numerous green technologies and is followed by almost 260,000 people on the social network.
- Prof. Stefan Rahmsdorf: The climate scientist is a professor at the University of Potsdam and has 9,000 followers. He is known for his research on global warming and climate change.
How these CSRD experts are shaping the future of sustainability
Leading CSRD experts and sustainability influencers play a key role in driving the sustainability agenda and effecting positive change. Through their work, these experts influence political framework conditions and corporate practices. They sensitise the public to the need for sustainable action and provide concrete support to companies implementing CSRD. They create networks, promote the exchange of best practices and support companies in facing new challenges.
Follow these people to make sure you never miss any more CSRD news.
Do you want to become a CSRD expert yourself? There are numerous CSRD training courses and resources to help you acquire knowledge about sustainability reporting.
A structured materiality assessment is one of the first steps in CSRD preparation. Our Excel template guides you through the double materiality process step by step.
Frequently asked questions about CSRD experts and sustainability influencers
Who are the most important CSRD experts to follow on LinkedIn?
In Germany, Georg Lanfermann, Daniel Obst, Thilo Hitz and Nadja Picard are among the most active and widely followed CSRD voices. They cover everything from technical standard development at EFRAG to practical implementation support for companies.
Why does it make sense to follow sustainability influencers?
Sustainability influencers help you keep up with fast-changing regulations and translate complex requirements into practical guidance. They also point you to useful tools, events and resources that save time during implementation.
How can I build my own knowledge about CSRD as a non-expert?
Start with CSRD training courses and the ESRS data points resources. Following a handful of the experts listed here on LinkedIn and subscribing to newsletters like the CSRD Compass are also effective ways to stay informed without deep prior knowledge.
What is the CSRD Compass newsletter?
The CSRD Compass is a newsletter run by Alexander Spahn that covers CSRD news, practical implementation tips, tool overviews and updates on the EU taxonomy and related regulations. You can subscribe at csrd.substack.com.
