A Clear 3-Step Path to Becoming Certified in ESRS
As ESRS reporting becomes mandatory under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), many sustainability professionals are facing the same challenge:
How do I move from ESRS confusion to real, demonstrable competence?
The answer is not more theory. It is a structured, practical pathway that combines applied learning, exam readiness, and recognised certification.
Below is the 3-step route followed by professionals who want clarity, confidence, and credibility in ESRS reporting—supported by one of the most comprehensive ESRS training programmes currently available.
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Step 1: Complete the 6 GRI Certified ESRS Courses
The foundation of the pathway is the six-course GRI Certified ESRS programme, delivered by FBRH, one of the original GRI Certified Training Providers.
What distinguishes this programme is its Plan of Action methodology.
Rather than overwhelming participants with regulatory text, each course is structured around:
- What needs to be done
- In what sequence
- And how it contributes to ESRS and CSRD compliance
Every module is supported by detailed handouts, templates, and practical exercises that link directly back to the plan of action. This enables participants to understand how each ESRS requirement fits into the bigger reporting picture.
The Six Courses in the ESRS Certification Pathway
- Introduction to the CSRD and Reporting with the ESRS
Provides a clear overview of the CSRD and the structure of the ESRS. Participants learn how to plan the full reporting process from the outset. - Stakeholder Engagement for ESRS Reporting
Focuses on identifying, prioritising, and engaging stakeholders in line with ESRS requirements, ensuring that engagement supports materiality and disclosure decisions. - Double Materiality Assessment under the ESRS
Explains how to conduct both impact materiality and financial materiality assessments in a way that meets regulatory expectations and avoids overreporting. - How to Collect and Report Material Information under the ESRS
Covers systems, controls, and approaches for gathering verifiable sustainability data and translating it into ESRS-aligned disclosures. - Preparing for External Assurance for ESRS Reporting
Introduces assurance standards, evidence requirements, and audit readiness—helping organisations reduce risk before external review. - Digital Reporting under the CSRD
Explores digital tagging, ESEF/HTML formats, and how to prepare ESRS disclosures for machine-readable reporting.
By the end of the six courses, participants are not just familiar with ESRS—they know exactly how to deliver an ESRS-compliant report in practice.
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Step 2: Prepare Properly for the GRI ESRS Certification Exam
After completing the six courses, participants are eligible to take the GRI ESRS Certification Exam.
This stage often creates uncertainty for professionals—but the pathway is designed to minimise risk.
FBRH provides participants with an exclusive ESRS mock exam, developed to reflect the structure and difficulty of the official GRI exam.
The recommended preparation approach is simple and effective:
Practice repeatedly until you consistently score 95% or higher.
Given that the official exam requires a 75% pass mark, this level of preparation provides a strong confidence buffer and removes guesswork from the process.
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Step 3: Earn the Certificate and Demonstrate Your Expertise
Successful candidates earn the professional title:
GRI Certified ESRS Sustainability Professional
This certification carries significant weight because:
- GRI co-developed the ESRS with the European Union
- It is currently the most credible ESRS-specific certification available
- It clearly signals verified competence to employers, clients, and stakeholders
For many professionals, this marks the transition from “learning ESRS” to being recognised as someone who can deliver it.
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What Professionals Say About the ESRS Courses
Feedback from participants highlights clarity, practical focus, and immediate applicability.
“The ESRS GRI-certified course was one of the best decisions I made to boost my career-related skills. The instructor was very knowledgeable and ensured we successfully learned the essential information. Choosing FBRH was a very wise decision.”
— Terrence Hines, Consultant
“Thank you very much for a very insightful GRI/ESRS course. The material is incredibly helpful, and the sessions were delivered with great clarity.”
— Hlédís Sigurðardóttir, Head of Sustainability, Arion Bank
“After completing the three days of training, I would like to thank you once again in writing. It has been very enriching to take part, and I sincerely valued the clarity and depth you brought to each topic. Your proactive approach and your anticipation of practical reporting challenges were extremely helpful.”
— Kléopatra Psilogiannopoulos-Tagalos, Consultant
Participants frequently point to the plan-of-action structure as a key differentiator—helping them navigate ESRS efficiently without needing to read thousands of pages of regulatory text.
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Why This 3-Step Pathway Works
This pathway succeeds because it aligns learning with real-world outcomes:
- A practical roadmap instead of abstract regulation
- Exam preparation embedded into the learning journey
- Certification that is credible, recognised, and relevant
For sustainability managers, consultants, auditors, and ESG professionals facing CSRD deadlines, this approach offers something increasingly rare in the ESRS landscape: clarity.
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How to Register
To register for the GRI Certified ESRS Sustainability Professional pathway, visit https://fbrh.co.uk/product/become-gri-certified-esrs-sustainability-professional/. On the course page, you can review the full six-course pathway, upcoming dates, and delivery format. Once registered, you will receive access to the FBRH Learning Hub, where participants can download exclusive templates, handouts, and practical tools developed by FBRH as part of its step-by-step Plan of Action. These resources are designed to help you apply ESRS requirements in practice and confidently structure a compliant ESRS report, alongside preparation for the GRI ESRS Certification Exam.
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As ESRS becomes part of professional reality across Europe and beyond, the real question is no longer whether to upskill—but how to do it in a way that builds confidence, competence, and lasting credibility.