One of the most common questions from European SMBs preparing for CSRD is: what does a CSRD PDF report actually look like, and how do I get one?
The good news: generating a CSRD-ready PDF report does not require an expensive consultant or weeks of work. With the right tool, you can have a compliant report downloaded in under 5 minutes — free of charge.
What Must a CSRD PDF Report Include?
A CSRD-compliant carbon report must reference three core elements to be accepted by auditors, banks, and regulators:
- GHG Protocol Corporate Standard — the accounting methodology used to measure and categorise emissions into Scope 1, 2, and 3
- Emission factors — the conversion factors used to translate physical units (m³ of gas, kWh of electricity) into CO₂ equivalent. DEFRA 2024 is the most widely accepted source across EU member states
- ESRS VSME alignment— the EU's simplified sustainability reporting standard for small and medium enterprises, which forms the basis of CSRD for SMBs
Beyond standards references, the report should include your company name, reporting period, Scope 1 / 2 / 3 totals in tCO₂e, a methodology note, and the date of generation.
What the Report Does NOT Need to Include
Many SMBs over-complicate this. For a first CSRD report, you do not need:
- Third-party verification (required only for large companies in later phases)
- Full Scope 3 supply chain analysis (encouraged but not mandatory under ESRS VSME basic)
- Net-zero targets or reduction commitments (recommended but not required in year 1)
- Social or governance metrics (the environmental section can be submitted separately)
Step-by-Step: Generate Your CSRD PDF Report for Free
Step 1 — Collect Your Data
Gather 12 months of the following:
- Gas bills — total m³ consumed
- Electricity bills — total kWh consumed
- Vehicle fuel logs — litres of petrol/diesel or km driven
- Business travel records — flight routes, train distances
- Waste disposal reports — kg of general waste and recycling
You do not need exact figures for your first report — reasonable estimates are acceptable. Keep the original bills as supporting evidence.
Step 2 — Calculate Your Emissions
Use the EmissionPlan free calculator — no sign-up required. Enter your data and get your Scope 1, 2, and 3 totals in kgCO₂e instantly. The calculator applies DEFRA 2024 emission factors automatically and uses country-specific electricity grid factors for 13 EU member states.
Step 3 — Create a Free Account
To generate and download the PDF report, create a free EmissionPlan account. This saves your calculation permanently and unlocks report generation. The free plan includes one report per month.
Step 4 — Generate and Download the PDF
From your dashboard, navigate to Reports and click “Generate Report”. EmissionPlan creates a professional PDF that includes:
- Your company name and reporting period
- Scope 1, 2, and 3 breakdown in tCO₂e
- Methodology note referencing GHG Protocol Corporate Standard
- DEFRA 2024 emission factors cited with version reference
- ESRS VSME alignment statement
- Generation date and data sources
The entire process — from data entry to PDF download — takes under 5 minutes once you have your bills and records to hand.
Who Needs to See the Report?
Once generated, your CSRD PDF report can be shared with:
- Your auditor or accountant — for annual sustainability review
- Large enterprise customers — who require Scope 3 supplier data
- Banks and lenders — for green financing applications
- EU grant bodies — increasingly requiring ESG evidence
- Regulators — if directly subject to CSRD reporting obligations
How Much Does a CSRD PDF Report Cost?
Traditional ESG consultants charge €5,000 to €20,000 just for the carbon footprint section of a CSRD report. Full compliance projects range from €20,000 to €80,000.
EmissionPlan generates the same PDF report for free on the Starter plan (one report per month) or €29/month on the Pro plan for unlimited reports and full Scope 2 and 3 tracking.
The bottleneck is never the tool — it's collecting the data. Once you have your energy bills and travel records, EmissionPlan turns them into a finished CSRD-ready PDF in minutes, not weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a self-generated CSRD report legally valid?
For SMBs in the first years of CSRD compliance, self-reported data is accepted provided it references recognised standards (GHG Protocol, DEFRA factors) and is prepared in good faith. Third-party verification becomes mandatory only for larger companies in later phases. Always confirm requirements with your local regulator or auditor.
Do I need to regenerate the report every year?
Yes. CSRD requires annual reporting. The advantage of using EmissionPlan is that your previous data is saved, making year-two reporting significantly faster — you simply update the figures for the new period and generate a new PDF.
Can I customise the PDF with my company logo?
Pro plan users can include their company name and details in the report header. Full white-label branding is available on the Pro plan.