B. SUSTAINABLE.

Seven good reasons for our sustainability report. And for yours.

We have published our first sustainability report. Based on our DNK declaration. Let’s get straight to the point: You won’t find anything sensational in it. We are not going to save the world – nor do we claim to. Our consumption is manageable. We use green electricity. We respect human rights and abide by the law. In fact, we didn’t even have to write it. Here you can find out why we did it anyway – and why we can only recommend every company to do the same. One reason is the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive – CSRD for short. Here are six more reasons why it’s worth taking a look at our sustainability report.

What speaks for a sustainability report and how it has a lasting effect:

The CSRD is the amendment (Directive (EU) 2022/2464) to the CSR Directive (2014/95/EU), which has been in force since 2017 and obliges 500 large, capital market-oriented companies as well as banks and insurance companies in Germany to issue a “non-financial statement” regarding their conduct in relation to the environment, employee matters, social conduct, human rights and corruption.

While the CSR Directive previously only affected “the big players”, the CSRD Directive will now apply from the 2024 financial year to companies with a balance sheet total of EUR 25 million, net sales of EUR 50 million or an average number of employees of over 250. Companies of this size will have to submit a report for 2024 in 2025 if two of the above criteria are met and the company is a public interest entity (PIE). Companies that are not of public interest (non-PIE) are not required to report until 2025. SMEs – i.e. small and medium-sized enterprises – below all of the above-mentioned limits that are of public interest will be required to report from 2026. SMEs that are not of public interest will initially remain exempt from the reporting obligation. We, Schindler Parent, for example, are not obliged to report. Nevertheless, the number of companies affected by the reporting obligation will increase in the coming years. And even those companies that don’t have to are well advised to do so – for the following reasons.

Let’s play this out: Your company is already required to report from 2024 – or from 2025. It is highly likely that you have already set up structures in your company to record the relevant data. For example, consumption – water, electricity, oil or gas. You may have already taken sustainability measures – chosen green electricity, installed a solar system, converted the vehicle fleet to e-mobility, etc. etc. And you may already be well positioned in terms of employee rights and social issues. Perhaps you have already opted for a report based on the more complex 86 GRI performance indicators of the Global Reporting Initiative or the 20 DNK criteria of the German Sustainability Code. Or you have chosen one of the other common standards. Then you are well prepared.

Perhaps you are still in the process of setting up these structures, creating the necessary capacities and implementing the required processes. Depending on the size of your company and the choice of standard, this can still be a challenging path. The important thing is that you do it. Because those who have one and can present it, their sustainability report, stand out – from all companies that do not have one. And that has an impact: on external and internal reference groups. For example, customers who are increasingly paying attention to sustainability measures. For example, banks and insurance companies, which pay attention to this when granting loans. Or to municipalities and communities that are directly affected by sustainability measures taken – or not taken at all. However, it is also having an increasing impact on the company’s own employees, who are identifying more – rather than less – with their own company. And to applicants for whom it can be a deciding factor. In short: Those who have a sustainability report stand out – from all those who do not (yet) have one. But it’s not just about having a sustainability report. It must also be meaningful. So that it can become a success factor.

If it has meaningfulness and credibility. A lot helps a lot. But not automatically. Anyone who has been operating sustainably for years, but is only now presenting a report, can of course impress with excellent results. However, the first step can also be convincing if the introduction to sustainable action is credible and comprehensible. Sustainability becomes comprehensible through motivation and aspiration. Those who communicate their entry into sustainability management appropriately make one thing clear above all: their future viability. Sustainability reports are still a form of “non-financial reporting”. But this description alone makes it clear that they are on the way to achieving a similar status to annual reports. This means that they become a sign of trustworthy corporate activity. Those who practice sustainable entrepreneurship show that they are fit for the future and at the same time provide a form of modern quality management. Just as there are clearly defined quality standards, there will be clearly defined sustainability standards in the foreseeable future that will have to be adhered to if we want to continue to operate successfully. That’s why it’s not just about presenting credible sustainability reports, but also attention-grabbing ones.

The vividness. Regardless of which reporting format you choose – GRI, DNK or perhaps soon the VSME, which is still in the drafting stage at the EU – it will of course have to comply with the relevant regulations. And these regulations are largely standardized and therefore very abstract so that they can also be applied across industries. And that’s a good thing, because anyone who has to choose a supplier based on their sustainability behavior can directly compare the information under the relevant criteria. But the selection will not be based on table comparisons alone. A culture is already emerging in which credibility is conveyed via the overall appearance – and not just via figures, data and facts that are recorded in coded rules and regulations. In other words, it will depend on the idea with which a company communicates its contribution to sustainability. And to the priorities that the company sets in terms of sustainability. On the power of its vision, with which the company plans to shape not just its future, but a sustainable future. In short: by setting a – its – sustainability theme. This makes a sustainability report an identification factor.

About the story he tells. Each story tells of a path that leads a protagonist from a starting point to a destination. Sustainability is no different. Sustainability is virtually based on a story. Everyone who has got involved knows that. Simply becoming aware of the issue is still the biggest and most difficult step for many (many have still not really taken it). But then getting involved and moving forward step by step requires: Communication. Because it means taking your own employees with you, but also all customers, the entire community and the public. If you tell this story well, you don’t just hand in a sustainability report. But rather an insight – into the life of a company, into the appearance of a brand that not only has itself in mind, but also the future. And not just your own, but that of everyone you work with and for. For all those who are involved. A good sustainability report wins over the people it is aimed at.

That may not come as a great surprise. After all, the term “report” already contains a form of communication. However, the question arises as to why sustainability reports are still living a shadowy existence. Why is that? Many very large companies have already been operating sustainably in many respects for a long time. But communicate carefully. This is understandable, as many are actually afraid of being accused of green washing. This makes it all the more important to develop and present best cases. This begins – of course – with the first, usually small steps: “Yes, we have coffee capsules.” – “Yes, we offer fresh fruit every day.” But only those who start with this will then take the next steps in a targeted manner. In short: sustainability is not a question of all or nothing, but of getting started and staying on the ball. It really is a sequel in the best sense of the word. And that brings us to the end of our reasons – and that is:

This is a good start to a conversation between the reporting company and its stakeholders. Let’s take us, Schindler Parent, for example. We didn’t have to write this report. We didn’t have to print it. We are also a long way from being completely sustainable ourselves. But by working on this, we have established the necessary structures – and identified further optimization potential. And we have built up the expertise to become ever more sustainable. You can also find the progress in our report. At the same time, we have the expertise to support you in your process. That’s why it’s worth taking a look at our sustainability report. And if you have any questions about what yours might look like, just give us a call.

And let’s talk. We would be happy to introduce you to the broad spectrum of sustainable communication. For example, websites that are designed and implemented in such a way that they emit less CO2 per page view while being easier to find and more relevant. Or brochures that are printed sustainably on certified paper that is recycled – and remains recyclable. But that’s another story, which we’ll tell you in another blog post. For now, we hope you enjoy taking a look at our sustainability report.

Are you interested in our sustainability report? Send us an e-mail. Please include your name, company and e-mail address. We will then send you a PDF of our report as soon as possible. Please understand that we will only consider company inquiries for dispatch. Thank you very much.