Imagine being a consultant who has built your career around CSRD compliance. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), adopted by the EU in 2021, required thousands of European companies to disclose their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impacts through standardized, audited reports. For consultants, it was a moment of perfect alignment: regulation created demand, and expertise created purpose. At last, Europe was forcing companies to treat sustainability reporting with rigor, not just as branding. The quality of work suddenly mattered—data accuracy, double materiality assessments, and credible disclosures became non-negotiable.
Then came February 2025. The European Parliament passed the Omnibus Regulation, a legislative package that softened several CSRD requirements and narrowed the scope of companies required to comply. CFOs who had cautiously invested in compliance projects began to hesitate: “Should we pause this? If the rules keep shifting, is it worth continuing?” Overnight, consulting pipelines looked fragile. For CSRD specialists, this was more than a policy update—it was a shock to the foundations of their client relationships. Could consultants still deliver rigorous, high-value work when the external pressure of regulation weakened?
The Shockwave of Regulation
The CSRD had initially fueled a boom in sustainability consulting. Boards sought guidance on disclosure frameworks, sustainability officers turned to advisors for data systems, and investors demanded reliable ESG information. But the Omnibus changed the tone. By reducing the scope and delaying deadlines, it transformed once-urgent projects into optional initiatives.
Clients, once dependent on consultants for regulatory interpretation, suddenly regained control. Some paused contracts; others renegotiated scopes. Consultants—often accused of profiting from regulatory opacity—now faced a more skeptical clientele. As Pauline Roulleau, founder of sustainability consultancy Ici&Demain¹, observed: “Regulation created momentum, but it also created dependency. If your entire value rests on compliance pressure, the business model is fragile.”
¹Ici&Demain is a French consulting firm specialized in corporate sustainability and regulatory compliance, notably in relation to the CSRD.
Between Expertise and Execution
The Omnibus revealed a structural fragility in the consulting ecosystem: relationships built on fear of non-compliance are transactional. When that fear fades, the interaction must evolve into one based on trust and shared purpose. Consultants can no longer rely on regulation to keep clients engaged; they must convince them of the intrinsic value of credible reporting.
That means maintaining rigorous standards in data collection, double materiality analysis, and disclosure design—ensuring that reports remain useful to investors, employees, and customers even without strict legal mandates. As Pauline Roulleau notes, “Companies still need trust. Consultants who only chase compliance risk losing relevance.”
This shift transforms their role. They are no longer mere interpreters of law, but architects of credibility—helping clients design systems that serve strategy, not just checklists. According to PwC’s Global Investor Survey 2024, 76% of investors place greater trust in sustainability information that has been assured, and 92% consider data accuracy fundamental when evaluating organizations. Those who can uphold these standards will define the next chapter of consulting.
Trust as the new currency
With fewer companies legally required to report, some clients question the return on investment of full CSRD implementation. Consultants must therefore reframe their value proposition : sustainability is a tool for trust, competitiveness, and resilience rather than a legal chore.
This shift reshapes collaboration. Where clients once followed consultants’ guidance almost blindly, they now negotiate objectives more strategically. Trust becomes two-way : consultants must prove the business relevance of sustainability, while clients must commit to transparency and long-term vision. Delivering only the bare minimum may satisfy regulators but can erode credibility for both parties.
To adapt, firms are broadening their scope—into ESG strategy, decarbonization planning, or voluntary frameworks. Others focus on reputational risk and investor expectations—pressures that endure even as regulation softens. This recalibration also changes consulting culture. Instead of bracing for burnout under tight deadlines, consultants face the uncertainty of projects being delayed or cancelled. As one remarked: “The challenge is not just delivery—it’s convincing companies that sustainability still matters, and proving it through the quality of the work.”
The Omnibus moment reveals a deeper truth: regulation may ignite the consulting market, but only trust sustains it. The best consultants are already moving beyond compliance, helping clients integrate sustainability into long-term strategy and governance.
Consulting today demands foresight, flexibility, and empathy. Relationships built purely on rules give way to those grounded in credibility, partnership, and shared accountability. In a world where regulation can shift overnight, the consultant’s greatest asset is no longer mastery of the law—but the ability to maintain trust when the law no longer compels it.
As Pauline Roulleau summarized: “Regulation is a trigger, not the finish line. Consultants who continue to deliver quality will remain indispensable—because credibility lasts longer than compliance.”