5 reasons to use the CSR Performance Ladder
Questions from customers and (potential) employees, stricter laws and regulations like CSRD – the need for sustainable business is rapidly growing. How can your organization effectively deal with this? Discover how the CSR Performance Ladder helps and why it's wise to use it, especially with the advent of CSRD.
The CSR Performance Ladder is a structured and certified approach. The ladder independently measures the sustainable performance within your organization. This way, you know what you're already doing and where you can improve. You can also demonstrate these performances to customers, employees, applicants, investors and regulators.
In practice, we hear several reasons to use the CSR Performance Ladder. We've listed the most important reasons for you:
1. One overarching certificate to demonstrate compliance with CSRD and commitment to SDG/PPP
In sustainable business, there's a maze of abbreviations and frameworks. Sometimes, it's challenging to see the forest for the trees. Here are the main abbreviations explained:
- CSRD: Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the new European regulation;
- PPP: People, Planet and Profit, often recently supplemented with Purpose;
- ESG: Environment, Social, Governance;
- SDGs: the 17 Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations
- MVI: Dutch: Maatschappelijk Verantwoord Inkopen (Socially Responsible Procurement).
The performance ladder consolidates and measures information for all these frameworks, keeping you always up-to-date.
2. Objective and independent evidence to make your sustainability efforts tangible, measurable, and visible.
We can be very brief here: certifying your efforts objectively establishes your performances. The CSR Performance Ladder is an independent certificate that unequivocally proves your compliance with the requirements, along with all the associated benefits.
3. Gain an advantage in the job market and over your competitors
With the ladder, you can easily and objectively demonstrate sustainability performance. This is important for your customers, employees, applicants and investors. The impact on sustainability is becoming an increasingly important factor for employees and job applicants. Especially in the current tight labor market, providing objective information about impact gives an interesting advantage in attracting and retaining the right people.
Transparent information about sustainability also gives you an edge with your customers and investors. It's expected that large organizations – which must quickly comply with CSRD – will set strict requirements regarding proof of sustainability figures for their suppliers and investments.
4. Easier compliance with laws and regulations, such as CSRD
The main reason for releasing the new CSR Performance Ladder (version 4) is to align with CSRD. Within this European regulation, the material themes play a significant role; these are the sustainability issues that are most important for your organization and your stakeholders. Therefore, version 4 specifically assesses the material themes relevant to your organization. Also, in the new version, 'purpose' has become more important: the motivations for your organization to work sustainably, and how the performances contribute to that.
5. Ensure that desired improvements are achieved
The CSR Performance Ladder is based on a management system. Therefore, it's not only suitable for measurement and communication but also for implementing improvements. With a management system approach, you're much more responsive than with an annual reporting cycle. Moreover, the ladder is also very useful for making specific processes, such as procurement policies, more sustainable.
Also relevant for SMEs
The CSR Performance Ladder is not only a valuable tool for larger organizations. It's also interesting for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The labor market and customers demand clear and independent information about sustainability. And to stay ahead, it's essential to assess material themes. The CSR Performance Ladder helps with both.
Ready to get started with the CSR Performance Ladder?
Our experts can tell you more about CSR Performance Ladder certification during a consultation. Curious?
Ready to get started with the CSR Performance Ladder?
Our experts can tell you more about CSR Performance Ladder certification during a consultation. Curious?
Frequently asked questions
Want to know more about the CSR Performance Ladder, what falls under CSR or what the benefits are? Click here to read the frequently asked questions!