The ESG Pulse

ESG In Plain English

The ESG Pulse Is Beating Fast

One of the biggest drivers of Sustainability are the frameworks, compliances, and and ever changing pace of legislation, rapidly keeping up with innovation and an ever changing world. Wouldn’t it be great to read and understand these in layman’s terms? Well, now you can, ESG frameworks made simple.

The ESG Pulse · 169to1
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The ESG Pulse

A plain-English guide to the rules, the bodies behind them, and the SDG targets each one helps you prove. Pick a framework, choose who you are, or browse the 169 targets and see what proves each one.

Content reviewed 28 September 2026. EU, UK and Türkiye measures are still being phased in.
27Frameworks
169SDG targets
4Audiences
8Instrument types
2026 change The EU rewrote the rulebook. The Omnibus I package took force on 18 March 2026 and removed roughly 31,000 companies from mandatory CSRD reporting. This tool shows what still applies to you.
Who are you?
Filter by type
What the indicators mean: who each framework applies to
Applies now: A legal duty, or a tool or credential you can use today.
Noteworthy: Voluntary, indirect, or something partners may ask of you.
Not applicable: Explains why this framework doesn't apply to you.

All frameworks

About this tool. The ESG Pulse is a briefing aid, and not legal advice. Scope, thresholds and dates come from the finalised Omnibus I directive (in force 18 March 2026), the IFRS Foundation, the Science Based Targets initiative, GRI, CDP, the GHG Protocol, ISO, the UK Department for Business and Trade, Türkiye's KGK, and the European Commission's circular economy and product-law measures on packaging, ecodesign, batteries, deforestation, repair, carbon at the border, waste, vehicles and critical raw materials, read alongside professional analysis current to 28 September 2026.

The framework indicators describe the general position for a typical organisation in each group. For the SDG targets, each framework shows its mapping basis. Only GRI publishes a full target-level crosswalk, Linking the SDGs and the GRI Standards, and it is shown here in full as the 61 targets its disclosures link to, marked Linked. Every other framework is an indicative mapping, anchored to that framework's stated SDG focus and showing its primary targets rather than a full list, with the source linked so you can check it. CDP and the ISO 14000 series are anchored to the SDG Compass (GRI, UN Global Compact and WBCSD), which maps them to SDGs but not at full target level. For these indicative frameworks, the Direct and Supporting split is 169to1's editorial emphasis and is not part of any official mapping. Your own duties depend on your size, sector, location and who you supply, and several EU and UK measures remain under implementation, so confirm your position against the primary source before you act. The anchor for corporate reporting is Target 12.6, which asks organisations to adopt sustainable practices and report on them.

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