We at CSR Tools don’t work in the field of sustainability by chance. But very consciously.
But does a service provider that offers companies pragmatic tools and templates as well as consulting services relating to sustainability reporting for companies have a positive ESG impact? Does the CSRD Compass Newsletter make our world a little bit better? Let’s take a look at our Impact Report 2025 together.
Our impact
The positive influence we have is divided into two areas. The impact through our core business and the sustainability effect achieved through donations and investments. We disclose information on this transparently in this Impact Report 2025.
Does our core business have a positive impact?
Whether and to what extent our activities have a positive sustainability effect cannot be clearly answered. Although companies gain many relevant insights through the efficient implementation of the double Materiality Assessment, this does not save a single gram of CO2. Our approach is more in line with the principle of the handprint: We try to support people and companies in tackling sustainability in a structured way, removing barriers to entry and implementing it cost-effectively.
We have achieved these positive effects with our core business:
- Lower barriers to entry for SMEs: Thanks to cost-efficient templates, clear structures and pragmatic advice, even smaller companies can address sustainability and regulatory ESG requirements, which they would otherwise not have the resources for.
- Reduction of bureaucratic effort: Standardized processes and clear prioritization help to implement reporting more efficiently and avoid duplication of work.
- Potential resource shift: Less time and money spent on ESG reporting can create scope for concrete sustainability measures. Whether this actually happens is something we cannot currently measure.
- Better decision-making basis: Structured analyses (e.g. double materiality, climate risk analysis) make conflicting objectives, risks and impacts more visible and can enable more informed decisions.
- Strengthening internal responsibility: In the course of our educational work and consulting, sustainability is understood less as a one-off compulsory exercise and more as a management topic and value driver. This benefits the prioritization of ESG issues in the company.
The 5% Promise
On our “About Us” page, we promise to invest or donate at least 5% of our annual turnover in sustainability. For us, this promise is not a marketing tool, but a binding benchmark for our own actions.
With this Impact Report 2025, we want to make transparent what we have specifically implemented this year, why we decided on these measures and according to which criteria we support organizations.
Own measures: Strengthening biodiversity on site
We have invested part of our turnover (€4,000) in our own, concrete measure. This year, we had a fallow area on our property upgraded to a biodiversity-friendly flower meadow. The area was prepared by a specialist company and planted with native shrubs and perennials that specifically contribute to promoting local biodiversity.
Biodiversity is often underestimated in the sustainability debate, even though it is a central basis for stable ecosystems. Local measures in particular can make a direct and measurable contribution here. We have also learned a lot ourselves, which we can in turn apply in customer projects.
Donations: Impact through specialized organizations
In addition to our own activities, we see great leverage in supporting organizations that have been working professionally and effectively in various sustainability fields for many years. This year, we have made the following donations to expand our positive impact:
- WWF – 2,000 Euro
Protection of biodiversity and ecosystems as well as work on the structural causes of environmental and climate crises. - Deutsche Umwelthilfe – 1,500 Euro
Enforcement of environmental and climate protection via political and legal levers. - Future Cleantech Architects – 1,500 Euro
Supporting the development and scaling of effective climate and cleantech solutions. - OroVerde: Die Tropenwaldstiftung – 350 Euro
Protection of tropical forests and promotion of sustainable utilization concepts on site. - Wilde Wälder – 350 Euro
Preservation and development of near-natural forests through permanent protected areas. - Sustainability Reporting Navigator (SRN) – 300 Euro
Promoting transparency and comprehensibility in sustainability reporting.
The selection deliberately covers different levers: climate and environmental protection, biodiversity, forest protection as well as systemic approaches such as cleantech and sustainability reporting.
In total, we have invested or donated 10,000 euros in sustainability.
How we select measures and organizations
Our own environmental protection measures and donations should have an impact. That is why, especially when selecting donation organizations, we do not only rely on awareness or gut feeling, but also use external guidance, which we would like to share in this Impact Report 2025.
Effektiv-spenden.org helps to identify organizations that achieve a particularly high impact per euro spent based on scientific findings. This approach makes sense for us, especially with limited budgets.
We also use the DZI seal (German Central Institute for Social Issues) as a guide. The DZI checks organizations for transparency, efficiency and the correct use of funds, among other things. This classification helps us to deal responsibly with our own standards.
No greenwashing, no claim to perfection
We do not claim to be “perfectly sustainable”. We try to act as sustainably as possible in everyday life (use green electricity from our own PV system, travel by public transport if possible – alternatively the electric car, etc.) and do not compensate ourselves with labels or buzzwords, but try to act consistently, honestly and transparently. This also means regularly questioning and developing decisions. And we will certainly make mistakes in the process.
We also recommend to you: Just do it!
