Exploring sustainability reporting in the fashion industry towards European sustainability reporting standards: evidence on ESRS readiness

In recent years, companies have increasingly sought to strengthen their sustainability commitment and reporting practices, particularly in industries with significant environmental and social impacts, such as fashion. The completeness and quality of sustainability reporting are central to European policy. In particular, the new regulatory framework seeks to harmonize previously fragmented approaches by aligning reporting practices with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), which define key topics within each ESG domain. Contributing to the debate on sustainability reporting, this study explores: i) the intensity of existing sustainability reporting practices as a proxy for CSRD readiness; and (ii) the extent to which currently disclosed topics were aligned with ESRS requirements. Based on a content analysis of 2022 reports of 33 European listed fashion companies, the findings indicate a relatively high level of readiness, although gaps remain in relation to some material topics.