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Sustainability Strategy – step by step

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Looking for a strategy to deal with sustainability issues in your organisation or to put an existing plan to the test? In need of experienced advice? We can support you in the development and implementation of an effective sustainability strategy. Choose the modules and tools according to your current needs, desired dynamics, and stage of sustainability management development.

Our modules at a glance

  • Requirements matrix: preparation of relevant sustainability requirements for your business, gap analysis of existing management capacities
  • Stakeholder engagement: needs-based selective stakeholder surveys or continuous stakeholder engagement
  • Materiality assessment (in accordance with CSRD/ESRS): internal and external perspective, consolidation and preparation
  • Sustainability assessment: analysis of your company’s strengths and weaknesses in material sustainability aspects, participation of employees from all areas and hierarchical levels, covering the internal perspective of the materiality assessment 

  • Opportunity and risk analyses: analysis of ecological and human rights sustainability risks and opportunities having an influence on or resulting from business activities in the service and supply chains
  • Preparation of sustainability strategy: gap analysis of existing sustainability goals and measures, development of short, medium, and long-term goals for the key sustainability aspects and measures for their implementation, preparations for a sustainability programme
  • Sustainability management: gap analysis regarding responsibilities, competencies, processes, and suggestions for improvement for the implementation of a sustainability strategy
  • Sustainability reporting: preparation of the requirements of relevant standards, establishment of standards-compliant monitoring and reporting processes, responsibilities, and competences

Step by step to your sustainability strategy

A lot has happened on the regulatory level in recent years, both in the EU and in Germany. Issues such as the circular economy concept, human rights and environmental due diligence with respect to supply chains (German and European Supply Chain Act), and

or the sustainability reporting directive CSRD, for example, are just some of the challenges companies are facing, and that should be reflected in their sustainability strategy. In addition, numerous industry standards with demanding performance standards have been established.

Laying the foundation, …

Transparency and a good orientation are necessary to identify the sustainability aspects that are essential to your company and stakeholders. To this purpose, we will prepare the relevant requirements for your business or concern (requirements matrix). Important references include, for example, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, industry standards, reporting standards, and, of course, your own mission and vision.

Acceptance of a sustainability strategy increases if internal and external stakeholders are involved in the development process. Whether this takes place selectively within the framework of a survey or in an ongoing exchange format, we will help you to find and implement the most suitable formats for stakeholder engagement.

An effective sustainability strategy is characterised by a balanced relationship between external requirements and the positioning of your company. Within the framework of a materiality assessment, we will collect and process the relevant information.

Would you like to know where you stand in terms of sustainability? With a questionnaire-based sustainability assessment, we will show you where your company stands in terms of its commitment to sustainability. The assessment covers both the key sustainability aspects (materiality assessment) and the requirements of the relevant reporting standard(s).

… identifying opportunities and risks, …

The previous steps will give you a first impression of your organisation’s sustainability-related opportunities and risks with regard to its business activities (inside-out) and external influences such as environmental and human rights impacts and regulatory and stakeholder expectations (outside-in).

We can offer you a sound assessment on the basis of our environmental and human rights risk and opportunity analyses in the service and supply chains, a step that ideally should take place before development of the sustainability strategy.

… developing a strategy, …

The sustainability strategy is the means by which you translate these findings into short, medium, and long-term goals suitable for your organisation. This results in specific tasks that are reflected in function and job descriptions.

The necessary functions and appropriate persons to carry out these assignments must then be identified, and they must be provided with the necessary time, financial resources, and competences.

Last but not least, the associated processes must be readily comprehensible; they must show how sustainability is lived in the various corporate divisions on a day-to-day basis. These three elements together comprise sustainability management. We will help you to analyse the status quo and implement improvements.

… and reporting.

Whether it is mandatory sustainability reporting in accordance with the CSRD or voluntary reporting, it must be based on efficient monitoring and reporting processes. These define the data to be collected and processed for internal communications, but also and externally, e. g. within the framework of a sustainability report according to DNK or GRI. Criteria and indicators are also required, for example to show developments and make comparisons.

Publications

References

four wooden cubes with the icon magnifying glass, lightbulb, gears and target are stacked and created with a finger cutout on top