From climate reporting to sustainability as your competitive advantage

One day, it lands on your desk: the email requesting a climate report. Perhaps it's from a major client that needs to comply with the EU’s CSRD requirements. Or maybe it’s from a potential customer you’re eager to sign. Either way, the message is the same:

"We need documentation of your greenhouse gas emissions and a clear plan for how you intend to reduce them."

For many, this sparks a moment of stress. Where do you even begin? And how can sustainability become a competitive advantage rather than a burden?

Sustainability is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it’s a requirement for winning contracts

With the EU’s new reporting requirements (CSRD), thousands of large companies in Norway need to report on their overall environmental impact, risks, and opportunities. They must also present a credible strategy and plan, including clear steps to reduce emissions. To meet these demands, they will need suppliers who can support them in this transition.

This is where both large and small businesses are affected. The EU’s regulations mean that any company supplying goods or services to these reporting companies (or public sector entities) may need to document their sustainability efforts. More importantly, you'll need to demonstrate why you are the right partner to help large corporations achieve their ambitious climate goals.

In other words, if you work for a small or medium-sized business, you could receive an email at any time—from a client, a tender process, or even your dream customer—saying:

"You need a climate report and a clear reduction plan. If you can provide this, we can continue working with you."

🤯 Those who can’t may risk losing contracts.

The ‘mandatory’ climate report – where do you start?

If you don’t have a climate report in place yet, now is the time to sort it out—so you’re prepared when the request comes. A climate report documents your company’s emissions, showing that you have control over your value chain and the emissions you are responsible for.

But this is where many hit a mental barrier. How on earth are you supposed to deliver a climate report within a few weeks?

Today, climate reporting is often seen as expensive, time-consuming, and highly manual. And when you're faced with a flood of requirements, expectations, reporting methods, and unfamiliar terms in the world of climate reporting—it’s completely natural to feel overwhelmed.

Make climate reporting simple

The good news? This doesn’t have to be complicated! Climate reporting isn’t as difficult as many think.

Visma Software offers an incredibly simple solution powered by Ducky data, where your climate report can be integrated directly into your Visma ERP system! That means no need to download yet another tool, create yet another account, or manually upload data into a separate system.

Your ERP system already holds most of the data needed to generate a solid climate report—just fill in any additional activity data, review it, and you’re good to go. Check—climate report done!

👉 Let us help you get started with simple climate reporting

Your employees hold the key 🗝️

But how do you move from reporting to real action? Climate reporting and transition plans alone won’t create change—it’s your employees who will drive the process forward.

To succeed, sustainability must become an integrated part of company culture—not just something you think about when the reporting deadline is approaching. The winners of the future will be those who build a culture of innovation, where sustainability-driven transformation happens at every level.

The train is leaving the station 🚆

The train is leaving. Large companies and public sector players are increasingly using their purchasing power to drive real change across their supply chains.

Imagine each big company as a locomotive. They want the best carriages (suppliers) on board.

Do you want to be part of this journey? Then you first need a solid foundation—strong reporting and a clear plan. But to be an attractive carriage, you must also fill it with engaged employees who innovate and drive real change.

Our advice is clear: Get on board before it’s too late.

A proven method: Climate competitions as a culture builder

If you want to succeed with sustainability, getting your people on board is key. But it doesn’t always have to be a straightforward process. One approach that we know works for many is wrapping climate awareness and sustainability in play and competition.

Our climate competition tool helps companies build a culture of sustainability and innovation through climate learning that is fun, engaging, and rewarding.

Set up interactive competitions where employees compete to save the most kilos of CO₂e in their daily work. If a colleague walks to work, carpools, chooses a vegetarian lunch, or has a meeting online instead of travelling, they can log their actions and see the impact—measured in kilos of CO₂e.

Through play and friendly competition, your team stays engaged while gaining a deeper understanding of how small daily choices impact both their personal and company-wide emissions.

These competitions also provide you with valuable climate data that align with key indicators and can be used directly in your sustainability reporting—all while strengthening a culture of action.

More than 450 companies have already used climate competition as part of their transition.

👉🏼 Read how it went when Upheads ran a climate competition for the third time.