Background: The European Union's (EU) Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is a mandatory framework aimed at enhancing corporate transparency and aligning business practices with sustainability goals. Introduced in 2023, the CSRD requires large companies to report on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors through the double materiality assessment (DMA). While primarily focused on transparency, comparability, and accountability in sustainability reporting, the CSRD's influence may extend beyond compliance. The directive facilitates a more systemic approach for the integration of sustainability and creates conditions that may lead companies to explore their business models. 

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand how the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive influences sustainable business model innovation (SBMI). 

Method: This qualitative stduy follows an abductive approach and is based on eight semi-structured interviews with sustainability managers from large companies with over 1000 employees in Denmark and Sweden, which are subject to the CSRD as well as the requirements introduced through the Omnibus directive. The data was analysed through a thematic analysis approach. 

Conclusion: The study contributed to research on how the CSRD influences SBMI in the initial stages of the implementation of the directive. The CSRD was acting as a driver for change, which strenghtens companies' capacity for integrated and systemic sustainability practices. SInce the cases were establsihed comapnies with mature business models, incremental change appeared more likely than radical change. Notably, its influence is most evident in how organizations approach value creation and delivery such as the allocation of ressources, data management, internal processes and capability development. This reflects a shift in strategic focus rather than altering their fundamental value proposition and market position.