Providing an account of social and ecological aspects of business activities has become a prerequisite for retaining social acceptance in our highly complex world. A growing number of regulations—such as the recent European reporting obligation—come into play precisely to strengthen business responsibility and bring about change. akzente has played a major role in shaping the development of sustainability reporting and is Germany’s market leader in this field.

• Data capture

A solid data pool is a precondition for good sustainability reporting and creates transparency when it comes to improving potentials. It therefore plays a crucial role in the controlling of any sustainability efforts. This is where we come in—to provide support in efficiently capturing the relevant data.

• Sustainability reporting

A good sustainability report builds on a coherent concept and an experienced project management team. Our services cover everything from conceptual design to data capture, text creation, layout and audit review support, all the way to printing and programming. We even offer a special web-based tool for collecting relevant information.

• CSR reporting obligation and non-financial reporting

The European Union has obliged capital market-oriented companies, banks and insurance companies to become more transparent. In Germany, this has been established through the CSR Directive Implementation Act (CSR-RUG). At the European level, an update is now in sight with the CSRD. We provide support in implementing its specific requirements.

• Integrated reporting

For some companies, connecting business reporting with sustainability reporting can prove a good way of representing their performance and strategy in a holistic fashion. The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), soon Value Reporting Foundation, framework provides methods for this kind of approach. We’re able to bring together financial and non-financial business aspects in a plausible manner and to develop a convincing story.

• Sustainability standards and frameworks

The leading framework for reporting is provided by the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). In addition, there are the requirements for a communication on progress in accordance with the UN Global Compact (UNGC). The industry-specific standards of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) are becoming increasingly important, especially for publicly traded companies. We help to select the appropriate framework and to prepare a report that meets its requirements.

• Ratings and SRI performance

More and more large-scale investors consider sustainable investments essential. Which means sustainability-oriented ratings are growing in importance, such as those provided by SAM (for the Dow Jones Sustainability Index), oekom research, Vigeo or GRESB. Furthermore, a growing number of customers are systematically querying the sustainability efforts of their suppliers via Ecovadis and other platforms. We can provide assistance in understanding the criteria and defining suitable core areas.

• Climate protection frameworks and reporting

For climate-related disclosures, the criteria of CDP or the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Disclosures must be taken into account. TCFD is also incorporated in the European CSR Reporting Directive. We help to select the appropriate framework and to prepare a report that meets its requirements. This includes the preparation of a greenhouse gas balance in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol).