Case Study

From table chaos to automated reporting

About

Insta GmbH is a medium-sized company from Lüdenscheid that specializes in sophisticated electronic solutions in the building systems technology segment.

250-500

Employees

Electronics

Branch

2024

Start year

Solution

Double materiality analysis
ESRS
CO₂ balance
CSRD & VSME report
Forest projects
CO₂ compensation

Professional

+ Enterprise

Package

The challenge

Sustainability needs structure

Insta GmbH began addressing sustainability at an early stage. Due to the Supply Chain Sustainability Act (LkSG) and increasing customer requirements, it became clear that the topic would not only remain relevant, but must become an integral part of the corporate strategy.

The company is ISO-certified, already balances its CO₂ emissions and relies on resource-conserving working methods with renewable energies and digital processes. However, with the introduction of CSRD, it quickly became clear:

The reporting requirements are more complex than expected.
Excel and manual processes are no longer enough.
The necessary expertise for legally compliant implementation was lacking internally.

Planted helped us to gain an overview in the data jungle of sustainability reporting. The team has enormous expertise that we have been able to benefit from. The close cooperation enables us to implement the VSME independently in the software.

Vivien Sarah Fielk

Sustainability & Material Compliance Officer

Insta

To the video interview

Solution

Smart technology meets expert knowledge

After a comprehensive market comparison, Planted was chosen - the combination of intuitive software and personal advice was convincing.

"Planted has clearly stood out both in terms of price and the software itself. We were particularly impressed by its user-friendliness - even for colleagues who have not worked much with sustainability reporting so far. Added to this is the individual expert support that accompanied us at every stage," says Vivien Sarah Fielk, Sustainability & Material Compliance Officer at Insta.

From the dual materiality analysis to report preparation‍

The process began with a joint kick-off, at which the most important CSRD requirements were explained to the management and sustainability team in a practical and understandable way.

The double materiality analysis was then carried out together with the Planted team of experts. The team developed the relevant business activities and stakeholders in three structured workshops. With the support of the AI feature in Planted's ESG software, impacts, risks and opportunities were identified and assessed.

At the same time, the recording of CO₂ emissions according to Scope 1 and 2 began. After targeted onboarding, Insta's sustainability team was able to create the CO₂ balance sheet independently within the software. Regular jour fixes with the Planted team of experts ensure that the process is continuously optimized and open questions are clarified directly.

After the Omnibus Regulation: change to the VSME reporting standard

The EU Omnibus has shifted Insta's focus to the voluntary VSME standard. Nevertheless, the early entry into the CSRD data structure has paid off: the_{carbon footprint} now forms an important basis that can be used for the VSME standard.

The double materiality analysis carried out also forms a solid foundation - both for the risk analysis and for the further development of a resilient sustainability strategy that also takes future regulatory requirements into account.

Going beyond the call of duty: Insta protects the climate and biodiversity

Insta is not only committed to reporting, but is also actively involved in environmental protection. The currently unavoidable emissions of 265 tons of CO₂ emissions (after calculating the balance sheet in Scope 1 and 2) are offset via a certified hydropower project in Vietnam. In addition, the company protects 265 hectares of forest in the Sauerland region - an area that has been completely taken out of economic use and can now regenerate naturally.

Outlook

Further expanding the sustainability strategy

For Insta GmbH, sustainability is not a one-off project, but a continuous process. In addition to the preparation of the VSME-compliant report, further milestones are on the agenda:

Improvement in the EcoVadis ranking from bronze to silver
Further development of the sustainability strategy in the areas of CO₂ reduction, social responsibility and environmental management
Optimization of internal processes to integrate sustainability even more strongly into the corporate strategy
Opening up new markets with sustainable business concepts in electronics and electrical engineering

The collaboration with Planted ensures that these goals are not only implemented ambitiously, but also efficiently and in a structured manner .

"Thanks to Planted, we have a clear structure for our sustainability strategy. The software saves us an enormous amount of time and gives us security in implementation," says Vivien Sarah Fielk

Even though we will probably no longer fall under the CSRD as a result of the Omnibus Regulation, sustainability remains a strategic goal - anchored at management level and supported by our corporate values and customer requirements. The materiality analysis forms the basis for our future sustainability activities, which we will document in the VSME report in future.

Vivien Sarah Fielk

Sustainability & Material Compliance Officer

Insta GmbH