Together with iron AG, Homann Holzwerkstoffe GmbH has prepared its fourth voluntary sustainability statement – for the first time in accordance with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).
As one of Europe's leading suppliers of thin, refined wood fibre boards for the furniture, door and coating industries, Homann Holzwerkstoffe sees ESG not only as a regulatory necessity, but also as a lever for competitiveness, responsibility and sustainability.
With its voluntary sustainability statement, the company is taking a proactive step towards transparency, credibility and preparation for future reporting requirements. This is because, due to the so-called „stop-the-clock"-directive (German article), the formal reporting requirement will in all likelihood only apply to the company for the 2027 financial year.
The voluntary sustainability statement for the 2024 financial year is based for the first time on the requirements of the ESRS in terms of content and structure. The company is thus sending a strong signal in the direction of future-oriented corporate management and is strategically preparing itself for the requirements of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
"We see sustainability as a key opportunity to further develop our business model in a resilient manner and thus continue to be successful in the future – in line with ecological and social requirements."
Fritz Homann, Managing Partner of Homann Holzwerkstoffe GmbH
Five steps towards sustainable and CSRD-compliant sustainability reporting
1. Strategic preparation for the CSRD and the EU taxonomy
Even before the project started, comprehensive advice was provided on the requirements of the CSRD and the EU taxonomy regulation. In close consultation with the management, those responsible for sustainability and the controlling department, the implications, reporting requirements and an individual roadmap for implementation were developed – practical and specific to the company.
2. Conducting a double materiality assessment in accordance with ESRS
The central basis for the content orientation was a double materiality assessment in accordance with the ESRS: This covered both the impacts of business activities on the environment and society (inside-out perspective) and financial ESG risks and opportunities (outside-in perspective). This was based on a status quo and surroundings analysis, the active involvement of relevant specialist departments and validation by stakeholders such as customers, suppliers and banks. The results were approved by the management and form the content basis of the sustainability statement in accordance with the ESRS.
3. Systematic preparation for the requirements of the EU taxonomy
In parallel with the materiality assessment, Homann Holzwerkstoffe, together with iron, also prepared for the requirements of the EU taxonomy, as the company is likely to be required by the CSRD to report in accordance with Article 8(1) of the EU taxonomy regulation (Regulation (EU) 2020/852) in the future. The support focused on identifying taxonomy-eligible economic activities, developing suitable templates for taxonomy-alignment assessment, and creating procedural instructions for establishing internal processes.
4. Conducting a gap analysis and drawing up an action plan
Following the double materiality assessment, a structured analysis of existing ESG data and structures was carried out. The resulting gap report not only documents existing gaps, but also contains prioritised measures for improving reporting capabilities – tailored to the requirements of the ESRS and future sustainability reporting.
5. Design, editing and coordination of the sustainability statement
For the fourth report on its sustainability activities, Homann Holzwerkstoffe GmbH was again supported by iron AG throughout the entire reporting process – from conception and editing to overall coordination. The result is a clearly structured and comprehensible report, which for the first time is based on the requirements of the ESRS in terms of content and structure.
The 2024 sustainability statement is available for download at https://www.homann-holzwerkstoffe.de/en/company/sustainability/.
The iron team has been supporting Homann Holzwerkstoffe GmbH since 2021 in both sustainability matters and capital market communications. Thank you for the many years of constructive cooperation!
