Practical guides to help you navigate ESG requirements and respond to customer requests.
45 guides
Double materiality sounds complex but it's simple: how does the environment affect your business, and how does your business affect the environment? Here's how SMEs apply it.
Investors increasingly require ESG data during due diligence. Here's exactly what seed to Series B startups need to prepare — and how to track it without a sustainability team.
You don't need consultants or expensive software to start tracking ESG data. Here's a step-by-step guide to setting up a complete tracking system in 20 minutes.
Sustainability isn't just compliance — it's a strategic advantage. Research shows 42% of SMEs see improved customer relations and 38% see cost savings from ESG tracking.
The EU's VSME standard has 11 basic module disclosures (B1-B11). Here's what each one means, what data you need, and where to find it — in plain language.
How small and mid-sized suppliers can approach the CDP questionnaire. Which modules matter, scoring insights, and what data CDP expects from SMEs.
How the EU's CSRD and Voluntary SME Standard affect suppliers outside Europe. Key datapoints, timelines, and practical preparation steps for SMEs.
Proven strategies to boost your EcoVadis rating: from documentation and policies to evidence uploads and management system indicators that assessors value.
Simple ESG policy guidance for SMEs. Learn what to include in environmental, social and governance policies for a 100-person company without corporate bloat.
Compare approaches to ESG questionnaire management: manual Excel, consultants, or automation software. What features matter and when to invest in tools.
Everything suppliers need to know about ESG questionnaires: major platforms, required data, how to manage multiple assessments efficiently.
ESG reporting doesn't require consultants or 200-page reports. Learn the 80/20 of what small businesses actually need: energy data, workforce metrics, and policies.
Why customers request supplier GHG data, what to report (Scope 1+2 minimum), how to collect activity data, emission factors, and when verification matters.
Step-by-step guide for manufacturers to calculate carbon emissions from electricity, natural gas, and fleet fuel using emission factors and real formulas.
Complete guide to responding to your first EcoVadis questionnaire. Learn the 4 themes, evidence requirements, common mistakes, and scoring tips.
Learn where to find energy data, understand kWh vs MWh, track natural gas units, set up a simple spreadsheet, and convert consumption to CO2 for ESG reports.
Guide to IntegrityNext assessments: what they ask, how they differ from EcoVadis, evidence requirements, and question categories covering human rights to ethics.
Plain-English guide to greenhouse gas scopes for SMEs. Concrete examples, what you need to measure, and how to start calculating your carbon footprint.
Calculate your Scope 2 emissions from electricity consumption. Covers location-based vs market-based methods, emission factors, and worked examples.
Practical guide to preparing for a SMETA audit. Learn what auditors expect, required documents, the 4 pillars, common non-conformances, and how to close findings.
Learn why customers request supplier codes of conduct, what to include (labor, environment, ethics, anti-corruption), and how to create one quickly.
Definitive checklist for supplier ESG assessments: environment, social, governance. What data and documents to prepare before your customer asks.
Learn how to track waste for ESG reporting, identify waste streams, get data from haulers, calculate recycling rates, and understand zero waste to landfill.
Learn how to measure, track, and report water usage for ESG questionnaires. Covers meters, utility bills, m³ conversion, and water intensity metrics.
Complete beginner's guide to EcoVadis for suppliers. Learn how the platform works, scoring, medals, costs, timeline, and whether you can decline an invitation.
Customer invited you to CDP? Here's what the Supply Chain questionnaire covers, how to respond, and what to do if you've never disclosed climate data.
Customer has their own ESG portal you've never seen before? Here's how to navigate any proprietary platform and respond efficiently without prior experience.
Customer wants you on EcoVadis? Here's how the assessment works, what questions to expect, and how to complete it without a sustainability team.
Complete EcoVadis guide for suppliers: how the scoring works, what questions to expect, how to improve your rating, and strategies for every section.
Customer uses EcoVadis, CDP, or Sedex? Here's what each platform covers, how they differ, and how to decide where to focus your limited resources.
ESG doesn't have to be a burden. Here's how to turn compliance requirements into real competitive advantage over suppliers who just check boxes.
Customers asking for policies you don't have? Here's what ESG policies actually need to contain and how to create credible documents quickly.
Complete checklist of ESG data customers ask for. Know exactly what to track so you're ready for any questionnaire before it arrives.
Stop scrambling for ESG data. Here's how to build a simple system that tracks everything customers ask for and responds to any questionnaire in hours.
Stop rewriting the same ESG answers. Here's how to build a template library that makes every questionnaire faster than the last.
Customer just sent an ESG data request? Here's exactly what they want, why they're asking, and how to respond—even without a sustainability team.
Customer wants your Scope 3 data? Here's what they actually need, what you can provide, and how to respond without a carbon accounting degree.
Customer asking for your carbon footprint? Here's exactly what they need, how to calculate it, and what to do if you've never tracked emissions before.
ESG questionnaire deadline approaching? Here's how to respond quickly with what you have, without sacrificing accuracy or professionalism.
No sustainability team? No problem. Here's how to respond to customer ESG questionnaires with existing staff and resources—without hiring anyone.
First ESG questionnaire from a customer? Here's where to start, what they're really asking for, and how to respond without prior sustainability experience.
Worried about losing customers over ESG data? Here's the real risk, what customers actually require, and how to protect your business relationships.
Can't provide all the ESG data your customer wants? Here's how to handle gaps professionally with partial data, estimates, and honest communication.
Getting ESG questionnaires from multiple customers in different formats? Here's how to manage the chaos and respond efficiently without duplicate work.
Can your small company meet the ESG requirements of large customers? Yes—here's how to respond professionally without enterprise-level resources.