"Wake up and smell the CSRD" Framing strategies employed by the Big 4 on discourse about CSRD

Abstract: With the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) coming into effect in the EU, a significant number of companies will be subjected to unprecedented non-financial reporting requirements. The Big 4 accounting firms (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) are important providers of sustainability assurance and, more generally, act as the allies of firms in both the political and corporate fields. This paper examines the discourse of the Big 4 in their public communication about CSRD. We draw on framing theory to show that these firms portray CSRD in a way that emphasises their role as essential partners, saviours even, of firms in the face of CSRD. Our findings contribute to the research literature about how the Big 4 position themselves in relation to regulation to benefit their own interests, both regarding their reputation among clients and creating business opportunities for themselves.