Kirchhoff Consult publishes first VSME sustainability report

VSME standard: Focus on climate transformation and transparent governance

Kirchhoff Consult GmbH, a communications and strategy consultancy for financial communications and ESG, has published its first VSME sustainability report. It is based on the Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for non-listed SMEs (VSME) and covers both the Basic and Comprehensive Modules. Thus, the report provides a comprehensive and structured basis for evaluating the company's sustainability performance.
 

Corporate Carbon Footprint and 1.5-degree transition plan 

The report focuses primarily on climate and transformation. During the reporting period, Kirchhoff Consult prepared a full corporate carbon footprint (CCF) for the base year of 2024, which was audited in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Based on this data, a scientifically sound climate transition plan was developed that aligns with the Paris Climate Agreement's 1.5-degree target. Kirchhoff Consult's contribution to global warming currently amounts to 2.0°C in a business-as-usual scenario, which serves as the starting point. This contribution was determined using the XDC model of Kirchhoff's partner right° based on science.

The company plans to significantly reduce its emissions across all scopes by 2030. It also plans to have the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validate its climate targets.

"To us, sustainability is more than just technical expertise; it's an integral part of our corporate strategy," says Claudia Herzog-Kamensky, Director and Head of ESG at Kirchhoff Consult. "With the VSME report and our climate transition plan, we are demonstrating that SMEs can contribute measurably to the transformation in a transparent, scientifically based, and economically viable way."

Gender pay gap below German average

At the end of 2025, Kirchhoff Consult employed 75 people, all of whom were on permanent contracts. Women made up 38.7 percent of the workforce. Among the Executive Committee, 40 percent are women. Kirchhoff Consult's unadjusted gender pay gap, which was surveyed for the first time, was 11.73 percent, below the national average of 16 percent.

High standards of data protection and information security

Kirchhoff Consult is regularly entrusted with highly sensitive data by its customers, so data protection and information security are of central importance to the company. A comprehensive security policy governs the protection of sensitive information. Additionally, the company has been TISAX®-certified since 2025. 

Kirchhoff Consult has zero reported incidents in the areas of corruption, bribery, human rights, and information security. 

Findings from the application of the VSME standard

With the publication of its 2025 Sustainability Report, Kirchhoff Consult highlights its dedication to advising companies on transformation and reporting and to implementing these principles within its own organization. "The reporting process has once again shown us how important data quality, clear responsibilities, and early structuring of information are," said Tori Weißenborn, ESG/sustainability consultant at Kirchhoff Consult, who was responsible for the sustainability report. "The regulatory environment is changing, and the expectations of the value chain are evolving. For unlisted companies in particular, the VSME standard offers a practical introduction to systematically recording and strategically developing sustainability."

Kirchhoff Consult has made a conscious decision to exceed the standard's minimum voluntary requirements and include a climate transition plan, even though it is only intended for companies in high climate impact sectors. 

Since the VSME report is voluntary and more concise than the ESRS, it can cover additional stakeholder needs, such as information relevant to ratings or requirements from banks. Rather than a tabular processing of individual paragraphs, it should be an easily readable text with a narrative that explains contexts and highlights strategic priorities. To ensure clarity and traceability, it is advisable to use tags or a structured VSME index, both of which have been implemented in this report.
 

The full report is available for download: Sustainability Report 2025 (PDF, german only).