Electric mobility in the sustainability report: Reducing CO₂ emissions

Companies are increasingly required to quantify their environmental footprint and communicate it transparently via sustainability reports. The EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) sets uniform standards for sustainability information and serves as a tool for companies to record and assess their CO₂ emissions and take appropriate measures to reduce their environmental impact. Electromobility plays a significant role in this, as it makes a direct contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions.

In this blog post, we take a closer look at the importance of electromobility in corporate sustainability and give an idea of the different aspects of electromobility that companies can address in their sustainability reports.

Why do companies need a sustainability report?

A sustainability report is an important tool for recording a company's own CO₂ emissions and understanding the extent of its environmental impact. By systematically recording and evaluating emissions, companies can take targeted measures to reduce their CO₂ footprint and improve their environmental sustainability. The report serves to communicate the company's corporate sustainability responsibility (CSR) strategy and provide regular information on progress in the area of sustainability. It is a central component of corporate communications. The analysis of emissions is a fundamental component of the sustainability report.

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is a further development of the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD). The aim is to treat sustainability integrally and gradually place financial topics on an equal footing. On January 5, 2023, the CSR Directive became effective at EU level.

Which companies are obliged to report?

The CSRD affects all large EU companies that exceed the following criteria:

• More than 250 employees, a net turnover of more than 40 million euros or a balance sheet total of more than 20 million euros.
• Small and medium-sized capital market-oriented EU companies are also affected if they exceed at least two of the three criteria mentioned: more than 10 employees, a net turnover of more than 700,000 euros or a balance sheet total of more than 350,000 euros.
• Non-EU companies are affected if they have sales of more than 150 million euros in the EU, have a branch or subsidiary in the EU, and exceed certain thresholds.

From fiscal 2024, companies already subject to the NFRD will be required to apply the CSRD for the first time and will have to submit their reporting in 2025. Large companies must apply the CSRD for the first time in fiscal 2025 and submit their reports by 2026. Small and medium-sized capital market-oriented companies have the option of postponing the application of the CSRD by two years ("opting out"), so that they are required to do so from fiscal year 2026. Non-EU companies must apply the CSRD from the 2028 financial year.

Electromobility: Specifications for the sustainability report

Companies can cover various aspects related to electromobility in their CSRD report, such as:

• Impacts: Companies can report on the impact of their electromobility measures on environmental aspects, such as the reduction of CO₂ emissions, air pollution, and noise pollution from electric vehicles.
• Strategic direction: Companies can indicate their electromobility strategy and goals, including integrating electric vehicles into their fleet or offering electromobility products and services.
• Investments: Companies can report on their investments in electromobility, such as the purchase of electric vehicles or the development of charging infrastructure.
• Fleet: Companies can provide information on their electric vehicle share, including the number, areas of use, range and CO₂ emissions compared to conventional vehicles.

The use of smart fleet and charging management can also be mentioned in the CSRD report, as it also makes a relevant contribution to sustainability, such as:

• Implementation of smart charging management solutions: Companies can indicate that they have implemented or intend to implement smart charging management solutions and provide information about the technologies, systems, or software platforms used.
• Benefits of smart charging management: Companies can highlight the benefits of smart charging management, such as optimized use of charging infrastructure, reduction of charging times, avoidance of peak loads, and adaptation of charging to renewable energy.
• Energy efficiency and sustainability: Companies can report on the positive impact of smart charging management on energy efficiency and sustainability, such as saving energy, maximizing the use of renewable energy, and avoiding grid congestion.
• Cost savings and cost-effectiveness: Companies can demonstrate how smart charging management contributes to cost savings and improved cost-effectiveness through efficient use of charging infrastructure, avoidance of expensive peak periods, and use of green electricity tariffs.

The importance of intelligent charging management in the corporate sustainability strategy

Intelligent fleet and charging management plays a crucial role in a company's sustainability strategy, as it contributes to the efficient use of resources and minimizes environmental impacts. By implementing smart charging management solutions, companies can make optimal use of charging infrastructure and thereby increase energy efficiency. This leads to a reduction in energy consumption and supports the maximization of renewable energy in the charging process. In addition, smart fleet and charging management enables the avoidance of peak loads by distributing the charging process to times of lower electricity demand. This helps stabilize the power grid and prevents overloads.

The combination of energy savings, optimized use of renewable energy, and avoidance of grid overloads leads to a reduction in CO₂ emissions and more sustainable operation of a company's vehicle fleet. In addition, smart charging management can lead to cost savings and improved profitability by avoiding expensive peak load periods and taking advantage of green electricity tariffs. Overall, intelligent fleet and charging management thus makes a significant contribution to achieving a company's sustainability goals.

Conclusion

Electromobility plays a crucial role in corporate sustainability as it has a direct impact on reducing CO₂ emissions and environmental impact. Companies are increasingly required to quantify their environmental footprint and communicate it transparently through sustainability reports. In doing so, they can address various aspects of electromobility, such as the impact of their measures, strategic alignment, investments, and the vehicle fleet.

Intelligent fleet and charging management is of great importance in this context, as it leads to efficient use of resources, minimization of environmental impacts and cost savings. Implementing smart charging management solutions optimizes the use of charging infrastructure, maximizes the share of renewable energy and avoids peak loads. This helps to reduce CO₂ emissions, to stabilize the power grid, and to achieve a company's sustainability goals. Intelligent fleet and charging management is thus a crucial building block for a company's holistic sustainability strategy.

If you would like to delve deeper into the topic, we recommend our German-language white paper on Green Logistics, which you can download free of charge via this link.