{"id":5573,"date":"2025-04-23T05:52:55","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T05:52:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/verso.de\/blog\/why-is-sustainable-business-important-for-smes\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T07:29:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T07:29:07","slug":"why-is-sustainable-business-important-for-smes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/verso.de\/en\/blog\/why-is-sustainable-business-important-for-smes\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is sustainable business important for SMEs?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<section class=\"snk-articleStage snk-section snk-bg_1\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 snk-articleStage-imgCol\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-articleStage-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/verso.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/29574-1.webp\" alt=\"Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften im Mittelstand\" title=\"29574 (1)\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 snk-articleStage-contentCol\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-articleStage-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-articleStage-date\">23.04.2025<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"snk-h2\">Sustainable Business Practices: The Business Case for SMEs <\/h1>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStakeholders, ESG obligations, or simply conviction \u2013 For many reasons, sustainability is on the agenda of companies. Whether mandatory or voluntary: sustainability must not only be promised, it must be implemented. This article explains why sustainable business practices are important for all companies \u2013 from SMEs to large corporations.   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\t\n\t<section class=\"snk-section snk-section_noBtn\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container\">\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-textBlock\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"snk-section-headline\">Why is Sustainable Business Important for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Sustainability creates transparency in the supply chain<\/h3>\n<p>Sustainable business practices are becoming a prerequisite for medium-sized companies to remain supply-capable and competitive in the long term \u2013 as large companies today expect full transparency across the entire supply chain.<\/p>\n<p>Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) supply products or materials to larger companies that are subject to legal requirements such as the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG), the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), etc. These companies are often also bound by industry-specific guidelines that demand sustainability information from the supply chain. <\/p>\n<p>Large companies must not only disclose their own ESG information but also that of their suppliers. This means that you, as a supplier, are also affected by the regulations and will be asked for extensive sustainability information: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You will need to undergo thorough due diligence processes, such as the EcoVadis sustainability assessment, which identifies potential risks to people and the environment in the supply chain.<\/li>\n<li>Proof must often be provided not only by suppliers but also by sub-suppliers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Sustainability as a factor for financing<\/h3>\n<p>Sustainable business practices not only improve the ESG rating but also provide access to better financing terms \u2013 whether for loans, investments, or insurance.<\/p>\n<p>Medium-sized companies seeking <a href=\"https:\/\/verso.de\/en\/blog\/esg-in-financing-this-data-decides-on-loans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">capital from investors or loans<\/a> from banks should be prepared for ESG inquiries. In practice, the ESG rating directly influences credit terms \u2013 the better the rating, the more favorable the loan conditions. <\/p>\n<p>Investors are also increasingly incorporating ESG criteria into ratings and M&amp;A decisions. At the latest, during transactions or investment decisions, robust sustainability metrics will be expected from you. <\/p>\n<p>In addition, (re)insurers also require ESG information from their clients. Sustainability risks are increasingly being incorporated into the risk assessment during contract negotiations, which can directly impact insurance premiums and coverage. <\/p>\n<h3>Sustainability expectations from customers and business partners<\/h3>\n<p>Anyone who wants to have a say, collaborate, or bid today needs a clear sustainability position \u2013 because ESG criteria are increasingly determining partnerships and contract awards.<\/p>\n<p>In partnerships, collaborations, and tenders, certifications and ESG information are increasingly being requested to demonstrate a company&#8217;s sustainability ambitions. When entering negotiations, you need to be well-prepared: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>No Open Doors without ESG Certifications: A prerequisite for serious discussions \u2013 alongside, for example, well-known standards for information security \u2013 are increasingly ESG-related certifications. Undergo the assessments early \u2013 they are often time-consuming and cannot be &#8220;quickly submitted.&#8221; <\/li>\n<li>Sustainability and ESG Criteria in Tender Processes: If there is a tender, your company might be excluded from consideration due to the lack of a robust sustainability strategy. This is demonstrated, among other things, through recognized ESG certifications. With sustainability and ESG criteria in tender processes, companies want to ensure from the outset that ecological and social standards are adhered to in the supply chain.  <\/li>\n<li>Sustainability also plays a significant role in other quality standards, such as Fairtrade, organic certifications, employer rankings, or ISO standards: ESG criteria are also requested here.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Protection against greenwashing accusations<\/h3>\n<p>Simply labeling oneself as &#8220;green&#8221; is a thing of the past. With the<a href=\"https:\/\/verso.de\/en\/blog\/green-claims-directive-eu-takes-action-against-greenwashing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Green Claims Directive <\/a>and the EmpCo Directive, the EU specifically outlines what constitutes greenwashing and what does not. <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Soon, companies will be required to scientifically verify the accuracy of their environmental claims. Failure to do so will not only result in reputational damage, but also actual legal and financial consequences. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You certainly do not intentionally engage in <a href=\"https:\/\/verso.de\/en\/blog\/the-five-biggest-greenwashing-traps-and-how-to-avoid-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">greenwashing<\/a>, but it can easily happen unintentionally in small and medium-sized enterprises: many greenwashing accusations originate from marketing activities that portray the company in too favorable a light. This often happens when a company\u2019s sustainability data is not transparent. <\/p>\n<p>A climate and sustainability strategy ensures transparent sustainability communication: through a data-driven strategy, KPI tracking, and a CO2 balance, you can communicate numbers, facts, and goals in a verifiable manner.<\/p>\n<h3>Improved risk management and resilience<\/h3>\n<p>A solid sustainability strategy helps you identify ecological and social risks early \u2013 not just within your company but throughout the entire value chain. The foundation for this is the <a href=\"https:\/\/verso.de\/en\/blog\/mastering-csrd-challenges-the-double-materiality-analysis-in-seven-steps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Double Materiality Analysis<\/a>, which adds a holistic ESG perspective to your existing risk management \u2013 including the consideration of opportunities. <\/p>\n<p>This allows risks to be assessed in a targeted way, measures for avoidance or reduction to be derived, and their impact in ESG management to be systematically monitored. This makes your company more resilient to climate impacts, geopolitical changes, or resource shortages \u2013 while also saving costs and preventing future losses. <\/p>\n<h3>Efficient resource use and optimized processes<\/h3>\n<p>A well-thought-out sustainability management system helps you use resources more efficiently. It drives process optimizations and innovations \u2013 for example, through energy-saving machines or the recycling of production waste. This saves raw materials, reduces costs, and protects the environment.  <\/p>\n<p>With effective ESG management, you not only reduce waste and energy consumption but also save time: you focus on the truly important issues \u2013 and can drive them forward in a targeted way. A clear advantage for the future viability of your company. <\/p>\n<h3>Holistic corporate strategy and future viability<\/h3>\n<p>Individual measures are of little use if the strategic connection is missing. A sustainability strategy provides the necessary overall view: All measures are part of a larger plan \u2013 rather than isolated individual initiatives. <\/p>\n<p>The foundation for this is the Double Materiality Analysis, which helps you identify the most important topics. This results in a long-term, systematic strategy \u2013 ideally integrated into your corporate strategy. In this way, sustainability becomes a top priority and is managed, measured, and communicated in a targeted manner \u2013 for example, with a suitable software solution like the <a href=\"https:\/\/verso.de\/en\/esg-hub\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">VERSO ESG Hub<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\t\n\t<section class=\"snk-section snk-section_noBtn\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container\">\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-textBlock\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"snk-section-headline\">How do you embed sustainability in your company? <\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>For sustainable business practices to be more than just a good intention, they must be deeply embedded in the company. This is achieved with the following building blocks, which demonstrate how small and medium-sized enterprises can move into action in a structured and impactful way. <\/p>\n<h3>1. status quo and material topics<\/h3>\n<p>Before developing a sustainability strategy, a solid status-quo analysis is needed as a foundation \u2013 it provides transparency on data, processes, and challenges within the company. Building on this, a materiality analysis highlights which ESG topics are truly material and where the greatest impacts, risks, and opportunities lie. <\/p>\n<h3>2. Setting SMART goals and appropriate measures<\/h3>\n<p>Goals are the heart of any sustainability strategy and should be scientifically grounded, formulated in a SMART way, and closely linked to the corporate strategy to avoid conflicts of interest. The development of appropriate measures is crucial for implementation \u2013 ideally in collaboration with employees and relevant stakeholders who can contribute practical solutions. <\/p>\n<h3>3. Creating awareness for sustainability across the company<\/h3>\n<p>Sustainability is a company-wide team project \u2013 and that&#8217;s why it requires a shared awareness and clear alignment. When developing your sustainability strategy, you should define vision, mission, and values to provide direction, motivate employees, and anchor the topic effectively in the overall strategy. Being transparent about ambitions and strategically using internal communication lays the foundation for living sustainability throughout the company.  <\/p>\n<h3>4. Moving into implementation: Control is key<\/h3>\n<p>After the strategy, the real work begins: Implementing ESG measures is a long-term process that requires continuous adjustment and perseverance. To maintain an overview and be able to respond flexibly to new developments, structured ESG management, regular monitoring, and transparent communication \u2013 both internally and externally \u2013 are essential. Only in this way will progress remain visible, stakeholders stay engaged, and motivation within the company be maintained.  <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\t\n\t<section class=\"snk-section\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container\">\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-textBlock\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"snk-section-headline\">Start with VERSO <\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Now it\u2019s time to move from planning to action. We support you every step of the way \u2013 with the right software solutions and services throughout your entire sustainability journey: from the first report and goal setting to tracking concrete measures. Step by step, you will build the foundation for sustainable business practices in your company.  <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-buttons snk-buttons_noGap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"snk-btn-secondary\" href=\"https:\/\/verso.de\/en\/contact-us\/\"  target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"currentColor\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M17.3423 12.5673H5.0673C4.90208 12.5673 4.76623 12.5141 4.65975 12.4076C4.55325 12.301 4.5 12.1651 4.5 11.9999C4.5 11.8346 4.55325 11.6988 4.65975 11.5924C4.76623 11.486 4.90208 11.4327 5.0673 11.4327H17.3423L11.6 5.70004C11.4949 5.58734 11.4391 5.45533 11.4327 5.30399C11.4263 5.15266 11.482 5.01941 11.6 4.90425C11.7179 4.78351 11.8513 4.72314 12 4.72314C12.1487 4.72314 12.282 4.78212 12.4 4.90007L18.9963 11.4964C19.0718 11.5719 19.1278 11.6502 19.1644 11.7311C19.2009 11.8121 19.2192 11.9022 19.2192 12.0013C19.2192 12.1005 19.2009 12.1901 19.1644 12.2702C19.1278 12.3504 19.0718 12.4282 18.9963 12.5037L12.4 19.1C12.2884 19.2116 12.1573 19.2689 12.0067 19.2721C11.8561 19.2753 11.7205 19.218 11.6 19.1C11.482 18.9795 11.4231 18.8455 11.4231 18.6981C11.4231 18.5507 11.482 18.4212 11.6 18.3096L17.3423 12.5673Z\" \/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Get in touch with us.<\/span><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\t\n\t<section >\n\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-section snk-section_noBtn\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row snk-section-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-12 col-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>This might be also interesting for you:<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-highlightTeasers\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/verso.de\/en\/blog\/why-is-sustainability-important-for-companies\/\" class=\"snk-teaser snk-teaser_highlight\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-teaser-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https:\/\/verso.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Nachhaltigkeit-im-Unternehmen-scaled.webp\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Mann im Anzug mit Fahrrad \u2013 Symbolbild f\u00fcr Nachhaltigkeit im Unternehmen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/verso.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Nachhaltigkeit-im-Unternehmen-scaled.webp 2560w, https:\/\/verso.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Nachhaltigkeit-im-Unternehmen-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/verso.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Nachhaltigkeit-im-Unternehmen-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/verso.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Nachhaltigkeit-im-Unternehmen-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/verso.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Nachhaltigkeit-im-Unternehmen-1536x1024.webp 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wp-post-image\" alt=\"Holzw\u00fcrfel, die ein Diagramm mit steigendem Pfeil abbilden: Richtig gemacht, k\u00f6nnen Nachhaltigkeitesberichte zur Steigerung des Unternehmenserfolgs beitragen Rising bar chart made of wooden blocks symbolizing measurable progress and continuous improvement in a sustainability report.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/verso.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Blog-Cover-1.jpg 1837w, https:\/\/verso.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Blog-Cover-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/verso.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Blog-Cover-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/verso.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Blog-Cover-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/verso.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Blog-Cover-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1837px) 100vw, 1837px\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-teaser-content snk-bg_3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"snk-teaser-date\">19.11.2024<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"snk-teaser-headline\">Sustainability Report: What Is It and What Do You Need to Know?\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-btn-link\"><span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead article\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\t\n\t<section class=\"snk-section snk-formComponent snk-bg_1 snk-formComponent_regular\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-5\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"snk-formComponent-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"snk-h1\">Subscribe to our newsletter!<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Sign up and receive regular news about:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Current ESG topics and legislative changes<\/li>\n<li>Individual advice from the VERSO experts<\/li>\n<li>News about VERSO<\/li>\n<li>Trusted by 250+ 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opportunities and how does it work?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/verso.de\/en\/blog\/why-is-sustainable-business-important-for-smes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why is sustainable business important for SMEs?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sustainable business practices in SMEs: Why is it necessary, what are the opportunities and how does it work?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/verso.de\/en\/blog\/why-is-sustainable-business-important-for-smes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"VERSO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VersoGmbH\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-23T05:52:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta 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