The focus on sustainability: Companies have to prepare themselves early!

The focus on sustainability: Companies have to prepare themselves early!

Hotel Glockenspitze, Altenkirchen, Deutschland - On December 5, 2024, an important information event took place in the "Glockspitze" hotel in Altenkirchen, which dealt with the topics of sustainability and corporate financing. Organized by the Sparkasse Westerwald-Sieg and the Economic Development Development District Altenkirchen, the event attracted around 45 participants from various industries. The focus of the discussion was to meet the growing demands on companies, sustainability criteria, known as ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance), a topic that increasingly influences the financial rating and the creditworthiness of companies, such as Ak-Kurier reported.

particularly highlighted is the need for companies to improve their use of environmental, social and governance aspects in order not to endanger access to capital. Bastian Börsch, sustainability manager of 432HZ GmbH, underlined the importance of early documentation of the sustainability indicators, even if small and medium -sized companies (SMEs) are not yet obliged to report. From 2025, however, this will be mandatory for companies with more than 250 employees or sales of over 50 million euros. The topic was also framed by the presentation of the “Nawisio” sustainability management tool by Markus Feller and the “Effcheck” support program by Timo Gensel, which is intended to support companies in increasing their resource efficiency and reducing costs, whereby the state of Rhineland-Palatinate pays a large part of the advisory costs.

preparation for the sustainability report

The information event aimed to prepare companies for the upcoming changes to the legislation regarding the obligation to report sustainability. While large companies already have to create extensive reports, many smaller companies may be affected indirectly through their business relationships, such as Bürgerkurier . The participants had the opportunity to ask questions and to find out about upcoming requirements before the 2025 reporting obligation comes into force. The event not only offered lectures, but also a platform for exchange and networking among the participants.