The conversation around climate risk in financial reporting has shifted significantly. It is no longer enough to produce lengthy sustainability disclosures that tick regulatory boxes.

For Joe Burns, founder of Reformed IT, a misfiring balance sheet and an absent COO made that question urgent rather than theoretical. His response was to build a Microsoft Copilot agent capable of diagnosing the reconciliation error himself, without waiting for external support.

The European Commission is advancing a new sustainability reporting standard designed for companies outside mandatory frameworks, including smaller enterprises. While the measure is voluntary, its implications reach far beyond Europe.