Sustainability management for SMEs

Corporate responsibility - what is it, what is it not 

• Definition of sustainability and sustainability management. 
• Basic terms and concepts. 
• Models of sustainability - a picture is worth a thousand words. 

Insight into sustainability management systems - even for experts 

• Why actually manage "systematically"? 
• The simplest management system in the world. 
• Plan - Implement - Review - Improve. 
• Process management - bringing sustainability into the DNA of SMEs.
• Roles and responsibilities - Who takes care of it? 

Framework conditions for corporate sustainability 

• The world out there - the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 
• The EU Green Deal and the link to:
  • Climate neutrality and CO2. 
  • EU taxonomy. 
  • CSRD & Reporting. 
  • ESG criteria and sustainable finance. 
  • Further guidelines. 
  • German laws: 
    • Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LKsG). 
    • Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG). 
    • Current legal developments. 

Structure - integration of the sustainability management system 

• P-D-C-A as the basis for sustainability management. 
• Anchoring sustainability in processes.
• Building on ISO management systems - with and without certification.  
• Sustainability certification options.  
• From the process perspective: tools and instruments for sustainability management: 
  • The UN Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs. 
  • The life cycle approach (ecological, social). 
  • Stakeholder analysis. 
  • Opportunities & risks analysis. 
  • Materiality analysis. 
  • Sustainability strategy and goals. 

Do good and talk about it - the path to a sustainability report 

• Reporting guidelines (CSRD - ESRS, GRI, UN Global Compact). 
• The path to a sustainability report. 
• use ratings (Ecovadis, NQC/SAQ, CDP, etc.).