EMBRACING SUSTAINABILITY: A STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE FOR SMES

www.vermetten.nl

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are directly and indirectly affected by ESG regulations. Research (ABN AMRO bank) indicates that in The Netherlands alone, 100,000 businesses are impacted, yet many are still unaware. Besides legal obligations, contributing to a more sustainable world is getting more and more important.

Not only for stakeholders such as suppliers and clients, but also for company owners and (future) employees. Acting as a sustainable company is becoming an important criteria for success. Furthermore, research shows that sustainable companies are (far) higher valued by investors than companies less sustainable. So also from a value perspective, more focus on sustainability pays off.

Services of Vermetten

In 2023 the Vermetten Board decided to incorporate sustainability in our mission statement and to also establish a new line of service, assisting clients in also achieving a more sustainable future. For an impression of our own journey towards being a more sustainable firm, we refer to the visual at the bottom of this article. Vermetten employed three advisors to realize our goals. Our ESG services comprise:

• Compliance Services

• SME Clients – Certification and Sustainability Services

• Strategic Sustainability Services and Data Services and

• Learning and Development Services

Compliance Services

We have several large entities in our portfolio who, because of European legislation, must be CSRD compliant in 2025. Vermetten assists these clients in becoming CSRD compliant. Beyond CSRD projects, Vermetten identifies and helps other clients (also SME’s) to comply with various other sustainability-related legal obligations.

SME Clients – Certification and Sustainability Services

Vermetten emphasizes the importance of a recognizable service delivery in the SME market. Think in deliverables. We recommend clients to join the BCORP movement and to also become one. Highlighting that sustainable practices lead to talent retention, increased revenue, and improved procurement conditions. In general: The BCORP label / certificate is progressively getting more attention and is becoming a recognizable label with authority. Vermetten is also on the path to becoming a BCORP. We expect to be a BCORP in the course of 2025. Of course, we also have knowledge of other certificates and labels in the market.

Strategic Services and data

Vermetten offers customized solutions focusing on specific elements valued by the entrepreneur or stakeholders. We believe in translating sustainability goals in metrics, measuring performance and improvement. We do so by implementing dashboards, discussing progress on a periodic basis with our clients.

Learning and Development

We aim to share our knowledge on sustainability with our existing client base. Vermetten incorporates sustainability into the (external) Vermetten Academy. These courses aim to raise awareness and encourage action, aligning with our ambition to guide clients towards contributing to a more sustainable world.

As a firm, we believe that we have a responsibility to contribute to a more sustainable world, we do so, by incorporating sustainability goals in our own mission statement and inspiring and assisting our clients to also become more sustainable.