PROTEGO®: First ESG report and first carbon footprint with VERSO

The challenge at PROTEGO®

Since its foundation in 1954, PROTEGO® has pursued the mission statement: Protect life, preserve values. This guiding principle is reflected both in the quality and safety of the products and in the company’s commitment to sustainability. The company is guided by the concept of the circular economy and is committed to ethical leadership, diversity, occupational safety and education, among other things.

PROTEGO® will be affected by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) from 2026 and will then have to publish an annual sustainability report. To prepare for this, the company decided to prepare its first sustainability report for 2022. The first carbon footprint was also to be drawn up as part of this process.

However, the aim was not only to hold the first own report in our hands, but also to establish the data collection and processes and define responsibilities. As the ESRS were not yet available at the time, the internationally recognized GRI standard was chosen as the framework, which has many similarities to today’s European standard. In addition, the first sustainability report should be used as the basis for subsequent reports and for the development of measures and targets.

The solution

PROTEGO® has chosen VERSO as a reliable partner for reporting. PROTEGO® uses the ESG Hub for data collection and reporting and the Climate Hub for the carbon footprint. VERSO Consulting supports the company throughout the entire reporting process.

The first step was a stakeholder survey to identify the company’s key issues. The GRI standards relevant to reporting were selected based on said survey. After that, our VERSO ESG Hub came into play: it serves as a central and clear location for all relevant sustainability data. The data can be called up at any time and is nicely presented. The integrated guidelines help you to record data efficiently and correctly.

The informative sustainability report, which is used internally, was finally published in the ESG Hub as a pdf version in the corporate design – with the PROTEGO® logo, graphics and images. VERSO support was available online and by telephone at all times to provide help and advice.

The report also includes PROTEGO® ‘s first company-wide carbon footprint. All global locations and Scopes 1 to 3 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol were directly included in the calculation. The carbon footprint was created in the GHG-certified Climate Hub by our VERSO experts.

The result

PROTEGO® has laid the foundations for further development with its first sustainability report. Building on this, measures are now being developed and implemented to meet the ESG targets that have been set. Data collection and other processes have been established within the company and responsibilities defined so that reporting can be further optimized in the coming years. The time gained can be used for the “real work”: implementing sustainability measures.

The creation of the first company-wide Corporate Carbon Footprint was also a milestone for PROTEGO®. On this basis, a decarbonization strategy, circular economy approaches, energy-saving measures and energy optimization projects can now be initiated and continued in order to promote the responsible use of resources.

The cooperation between PROTEGO® and VERSO was very successful. Both companies worked together harmoniously and efficiently. The partnership was characterized by open communication and a high degree of professionalism. This forms the basis for further cooperation: in preparation for CSRD reporting and the use of ESRS, PROTEGO® carries out a double materiality analysis together with VERSO. This will form the framework for future reporting.