Bonn, November 26, 2025 – For the third time in a row, the EUPD Group awarded Leading Companies with the prestigious ESG Transparency Award 2025 as part of this year’s ESG Summit. In times of ever-evolving regulations and political decision-making regarding requirements, the ESG Transparency Award honours companies that have anchored forward-looking sustainability concepts in their organisation and communicate these transparently in the form of a sustainability report. The award recipients demonstrate that sustainability efforts are not just a regulatory duty but an important competitive factor.
More than 50 leading companies from Europe were able to receive their award on site at the ESG Summit. The ESG Transparency Award’s methodical basis, the ESG Transparency Evaluation Standard developed by the EUPD Group, draws on the most relevant European and international guidelines of sustainability reporting. With more than 350 differentiated audit criteria divided into five evaluation clusters (Transparency, Environmental, Social, Governance and Regulatory Landscape), the ESG Transparency Evaluation Standard offers a differentiated method for evaluating transparency and performance in reports and sets new benchmarks for sustainability reporting from a stakeholder and shareholder perspective.
“The ESG Transparency Award affirms our commitment to sustainability. Transparency is not just about compliance—it creates trust and drives long-term value for our stakeholders and our company”, underlines Claudia von Bothmer, Director Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability at Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG, an award recipient of this year’s ESG Transparency Award.
This year’s award process impressively showed the efforts which companies already invested regarding their CSRD compliance. This is also true for award recipient Merck which underlined its leading role in its own industry based on its results and demonstrated its relevance for its own competitiveness. “The future of ESG reporting goes beyond compliance; it’s about gaining competitive advantage. We are proud that our first CSRD-compliant report won the 2025 ESG Transparency Award“, states Judith Rahner, Senior Manager Sustainability Reporting at Merck.
While Europe’s largest companies will have to continue their CSRD compliant reporting, the reporting obligations for many companies will be reduced significantly. This means that the need for strategy and transparency will gain significance. Against this background, insights drawn from over 2,000 evaluated ESG reports will be included in a comprehensive data collection used for a benchmark, which will provide guidance in times of uncertainty.
“The most recent adjustments to the CSRD exemplify which companies regard ESG as central element of their strategic future. Reduced reporting duties will reveal which companies will continue their ESG reporting diligently and which might waver from their current path. It is important to make this distinction because it identifies the transparent and ambitious pioneers wanting to shape the future”, as Steffen Klink, COO of the EUPD Group, underlines the relevance of today’s efforts in the European and global economy.
A detailed overview of the 2025 award recipients as well as further information about the application process can be found here »
Press Contacts
Julia Lünnemann
Communication and Event Manager
EUPD Group
j.luennemann@eupd-research.com
Katja Werner
Corporate Communications Manager
EUPD Group
k.werner@eupd-research.com
About the EUPD Group
Since its foundation in 2000, the EUPD Group has been developing innovative, integrated solutions for sustainability-oriented companies. They lead companies to success with our data-based market research and consulting services in the areas of energy, social and ESG. On the one hand, they have specialized in technology sectors such as photovoltaics, energy storage, heat pumps and electromobility under the topic of “Energy”. In the “Social” category, they also offer services in areas such as occupational health management and equal opportunities, while “ESG” focuses on corporate sustainability and responsibility issues, including their transparency in reporting. Their aim is to help companies become and remain competitive, create optimal framework conditions and develop business opportunities.
https://www.eupd-research.com/
About the ESG Transparency Award
The ESG TRANSPARENCY AWARD honours European organisations that have already anchored forward-looking sustainability concepts in their company and communicate these transparently in the form of a sustainability report. These pioneers serve as role models because they change the world and prove that profitability and sustainability are not opposites, but successful strategies for a future worth living. The EUPD Group has developed the ESG Transparency Evaluation Standard to objectively assess transparency, accountability and structural quality of ESG reporting. It draws on the most relevant European and international guidelines of sustainability reporting and serves as the methodical basis of the ESG Transparency Award.
https://esg-transparency-award.de/