ESRS E1 Climate Reporting Among the EU's Top Industrial Emitters

This thesis investigates the quality and depth of climate-related disclosure, by companies operating in the most carbon intensive industries. The empirical focus is the group of companies, the Emissions Aristocracy representing less than 1% of the total number of companies covered by the EU ETS. Primary sources examined are Sustainability reports, going from 2020 to 2025, capturing both the pre-CSRD baseline and the transition to mandatory ESRS-aligned reporting.