Companies don’t get very far paying mere lip service to sustainability. This is because new legal frameworks make sustainability reports necessary, based on the motto "Trust is good, control is better." In Switzerland, for example, larger companies must comply with the indirect counter-proposal to the Responsible Business Initiative. This year, for the first time, they have to report their conduct in areas such as the environment, social affairs, labor and human rights – and how they measure their efforts. The Federal Council wants to tighten the rules and extended reporting obligations will apply within the EU from 2024.

While the rules don’t directly target SMEs just yet, they do have an impact on supply chains. Major customers require their suppliers, who are often Swiss SMEs, to submit recognized sustainability reports. If a supplier cannot do this, they can expect to lose customers and they also have no chance of winning a call for tender.

Meaningful ratings

Although SMEs are striving hard for sustainability, the regulatory environment is still increasingly challenging. On the one hand, SMEs are spoiled for choice by a raft of very different rating and reporting tools. On the other hand, extended reporting is a major bureaucratic hurdle for many SMEs with scarce resources. esg2go simplifies this mammoth task enormously: with this practical tool, companies with four or more employees receive a meaningful sustainability rating with just a few clicks. The online tool was created by the Center for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CCRS), which is associated with the Freiburg University of Applied Sciences, in cooperation with SMEs and supported by well-known partners such as ۶Ƶ.

Analyze your level of sustainability and benefit from a 20% discount

  • Gain transparency about your sustainability
  • Identify your strengths and areas for improvement in comparison with others in your industry
  • As a ۶Ƶ client, you can benefit from a 20% discount on the esg2go sustainability analysis

The abbreviation ESG in the name esg2go stands for three aspects of sustainability or sustainable development: Environment, Social and Governance. The simple, easy-to-use platform enables SMEs to quantify their position and measure the risks the company is taking in the three ESG fields. Both financial and non-financial data are taken into account, both in terms of the environmental footprint (pollution of the environment) and how the SME contributes towards sustainability in general. The information is automatically checked for plausibility and then incorporated into a rating report.

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Solid benchmarking

As a seal of approval for the correctness of the data entered in the tool, SMEs can also apply for their own esg2go label, which is awarded by the Swiss Association for Quality and Management Systems (SQS) in accordance with a multi-stage verification process. As SQS explains on its website, “esg2go is a solid benchmarking tool because it makes industry-specific sustainability performance quantitatively measurable and comparable. It integrates international standard reporting, which saves on transaction costs.” These include, for example, GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), EU Taxonomy or DNK (German Sustainability Code).

esg2go has now been on the market for a year and is supported by ۶Ƶ, among others. Our involvement underlines our commitment to the sustainable development of the economy and society. We asked companies from a wide range of industries about their use of esg2go. You can read some of their answers below.

Porträt von Andreas Roos

“No financial data required”

Andreas Roos, Head of Sales and Marketing, ADAMS Schweiz AG

“As a manufacturer of valves for hydroelectric power plants, sustainability issues are always on our radar. In addition, a tighter regulatory framework is having an increasing impact on supply chains. As an international company, it is important for us to secure market access by means of recognized sustainability reporting. It’s good that esg2go recognized in good time that sustainability reporting is also possible without delving into a company’s financial affairs. Owner-managed and family-run companies are very reluctant to publish key figures. Beneficial synergies are created between our ISO9001/14001/45001-certified management system and esg2go.

Porträt von Philippe Saner

“Support with certification”

Philippe Saner, Head of Business Development, Paul Reinhart AG

“The 235-year-old family-owned company Paul Reinhart AG is the world’s largest supplier of organic cotton and promotes sustainable farming projects in sub-Saharan Africa, for example. During cotton certification, the sustainability of the companies involved in the supply chain is also audited by an independent body. esg2go helps us comply with their requirements. Depending on the certification, different aspects are relevant, such as training employees on safety-relevant topics. This year, we are reporting our ESG rating for the first time and can be proud of our achievements as a Swiss SME. We will continue to use esg2go to examine and discuss our sustainability.”

Porträt von Stefan Aerni

“BDz-”

Stefan Aerni, Quality Manager, Dolder Hotel AG

“Sustainability is part of our strategy and a criterion by which we measure our managers.” To tackle this issue systematically, we have introduced a sustainability management system in addition to the ISO 9001:2015-certified quality management system, which is certified according to the EarthCheck corporate standard. But most of our efforts should not be concentrated on reporting, but on action. The esg2go standard is scientifically sound and supported by associations and companies. We expect our pilot project to reveal potential for improvement and to enable us to compare ourselves within the industry.”