The Sustainability Report Starter Pack is designed for small businesses that need a simplified process for reporting. The Starter Pack includes plug-and-play spreadsheets for data collection plus step-by-step instructions. Try a template for free.
Sustainability reporting can feel overwhelming—especially for small businesses without dedicated staff, technical expertise, or time to spare. The frameworks are confusing, the expectations feel unclear, and it’s hard to know where to begin.
But here’s the truth: you don’t need to be an expert to start reporting. You just need the right structure, guidance, and tools. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll have a sustainability report that can help you win more contracts and stand out from your competition.
The Sustainability Report Starter Pack is designed specifically for small businesses that want to take their first step in reporting – without hiring expensive consultants or building systems from scratch.
The Starter Pack includes editable, beginner-friendly data collection templates paired with step-by-step instructions. We’ll walk you through what data to collect, why it’s important, and how to turn it into a clear and credible sustainability report.
It may seem daunting to get started.
Step-by-step guidance for tracking and reporting
Editable worksheets for capturing data
Specific to small- and medium-sized enterprises
You can reuse year after year
Small businesses responding to supply chain or other stakeholder requests
Teams without in-house sustainability or ESG expertise
Businesses that aren’t ready to purchase expensive software programs
Businesses that want a practical starting point and repeatable process
Your business in not based in the United States. Why? The Emissions template is based on the United States electrical grid and emissions factors. You can use the template; however, you will need to find an emissions calculator for your region/ country.
Your company has 1,000 employees or more and/ or > $5 million in annual revenue. Why? 1. Your company has stricter requirements for reporting and 2. It will be easier for you to use a software program with a more sophisticated database.
You only want to report on positive aspects of sustainability. One of the principles of standardized and reporting is that you include positive and negative impacts. It’s important to be transparent about where you need improvement. This helps partners trust you and helps reduce their risk in working with you.
Only large public companies have to report on their sustainability metrics and progress.
Organizations of all sizes and types should report because regulations are getting stricter worldwide, especially regarding greenhouse gas emissions accounting. Even if regulations don’t apply to you, they may apply to a company that you do business with. That company may be required to report on the sustainability/ ESG metrics of the companies that it does business with, including supply chain partners.
You have to spend thousands of dollars to hire a consultant or to buy software for reporting.
While this may be true for large multi-national companies, it’s not true for many companies, especially small organizations with less than 500 employees. There are low-cost and free tools available online.
You can simply add information to your annual report about all of the “good stuff” that your company is doing and that will be sufficient.
This may lead to claims of greenwashing. It’s important that you use standards and protocols that make your progress comparable with that of peers. Just as you use accepted principles for financial reporting, you need to use them for sustainability reporting as well.
Get started in minutes.
Upon purchase, you will receive a link.
From this link, you will download a bundle of seven modules. Each module has one to three files (pdfs and/ or editable Excel files).
Know exactly what to do, step by step.
Starting with the Introductory module, Module 1, you will follow along step by step until you have a complete report. Along the way, you will determine your reporting objectives; collect data related to environmental, social, and governance/ economic topics; determine materials topics (your most significant impacts), and will take final steps to brand and publish your report.
Feel confident that you are using the same standards used by over 10,000 companies of all types in over 100 different countries.
The Starter Pack is based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, one of the most widely accepted standards for sustainability reporting in the world.
Know where to focus your efforts.
You will need to show your progress towards sustainability, especially reducing greenhouse gas emissions, for many years to come. Following the Sustainability Report Starter Pack process will show you which improvements to your operations may result in the greatest impacts. This will save you time and money.
The Starter Pack is designed for beginners.
The Sustainability Report Starter Pack includes detailed instructions. You’ll know exactly how to start and proceed through each of the seven modules. You’ll gain confidence as you follow the process.
The Starter Pack is designed for small, private organizations.
Many tools and advice on the web is geared towards larger companies that have large impacts on sustainable development. So many of those tools are overkill for what a small organization needs. You will save time by only focusing on what applies to you.
This system should not be used for public companies or those with > 1,000 employees as they are generally subject to stricter regulations. They can be used by small businesses, nonprofits/ NGOs, and other small organizations.
The Starter Pack is designed for busy professionals who don’t have time for steep learning curves.
We provide guidance for you to complete your report comprehensively without adding extra fluff. We provide plug and play spreadsheets for collecting your ESG data. Almost everyone has a basic knowledge of MS Excel so your team won’t need to be trained on how to use yet another software platform.
The Starter Pack is affordable.
You don’t need to purchase a subscription or commit to a software contract that costs thousands of dollars. You can purchase the complete system (which includes all seven modules) for less than $1,000.
The Starter Pack is designed by a data analytics specialist and GRI-certified Sustainability Professional.
By following a standardized system, you will avoid pitfalls and build a firm foundation for your ongoing reporting.
The Starter Pack will set you up for success for years to come.
You will set baselines and collect data that can be used to show progress over the upcoming years. If you decide that you want to use a software platform in later years (which is advisable once you’ve been reporting for more than a year or two), you’ll have spreadsheets containing your data that can be uploaded into your new software.
We help folks at small businesses to complete their first sustainability report, including greenhouse gas inventories, by providing step-by-step guides and templates.
