Presentation by corsus on sustainability reporting and supply chain due diligence law at the IHK Schleswig-Holstein webinar

As part of a webinar organised by the IHK Schleswig-Holstein on “Sustainability reporting, supply chains, sustainable finance and CBAM – a challenge for business”, Dr Anke Butscher introduced the overall topic to 140 participants from the Schleswig-Holstein corporate landscape in March.

As a chamber of industry and commerce, IHK Schleswig-Holstein represents the interests of companies and tradespeople in the region and offers various services and support. The webinar discussed both the challenges and opportunities presented by legal guidelines relating to sustainability.

In her presentation, Dr Anke Butscher first emphasised the two strands of sustainability reporting. On the one hand, the CSR Directive Implementation Act, as national legislation in Germany, and on the other, the  CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), which as an EU directive has provided the framework for reporting for companies above a certain size since 2023. This directive on corporate sustainability reporting (CSRD) obliges EU companies to report on non-financial key figures. The aim of the CSRD is for companies to publish comparable, detailed and reliable sustainability information on the basis of the newly developed European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). The CSRD reporting form on sustainability aspects is to be based on 12 binding standards.

Anke Butscher also focused on the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG for short). The law on corporate due diligence obligations in supply chains obliges German companies to better fulfil their global responsibility to respect human rights and environmental standards. The new Supply Chain Due Diligence Act has been in force since 1 January 2023 – in the first year for companies with more than 3,000 employees (from 2024 from 1,000 employees). Anke Butscher also addressed the requirements for a deforestation-free supply chain and reported on the latest developments and requirements of the European Supply Chain Act – Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). Other topics included the EU taxonomy and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

Begoña Picazo Muñoz, Sustainability Manager of “Trixie – Heimtierbedarf GmbH & Co. KG”, a wholesaler of pet accessories, then gave an input on their sustainability strategy. The practical relevance illustrated the content of the information from Dr Anke Butscher’s presentation and dealt more specifically with the development and implementation of sustainability strategies in Trixie’s corporate projects.

Thanks to its large repertoire of methods, corsus can carry out life cycle assessments and carbon footprints as well as sustainability analyses and assessments at product and company level, provide advice on the development, implementation and realisation of sustainability strategies, prepare sustainability reports, draw up common good balance sheets, model impacts on biodiversity or advise on human rights due diligence in the supply chain.