Sustainability as a Strategic Lever for Industrial Value Creation

Sustainability has become a key driver of strategic decision-making and long-term competitiveness. Companies are challenged to align environmental, social, and economic objectives and embed them across the entire value chain.

Schlegel and Partner supports clients in defining sustainability goals and translating them into actionable strategies and implementation roadmaps. We assist in sustainable sourcing, the development of circular economy concepts, and the identification of markets, business models, and business plans for sustainable products and services. In addition, we analyze regulatory requirements, reporting structures, and stakeholder expectations.

Our Expertise in Sustainability

• Evaluation of sustainability strategies and ESG frameworks
• Analysis of sustainable sourcing strategies and supply chains
• Design of circular economy and recycling concepts
• Identification of markets for sustainable products and services
• Support in sustainability reporting and KPI systems
• Analysis of stakeholder expectations and market requirements

Key Trends and Drivers in Sustainability

• Increasing regulatory requirements (e.g., EU Green Deal, CSRD, ESG regulations)
• Rising pressure to reduce carbon emissions and resource consumption
• Growing demand for sustainable and transparent products
• Transformation of global supply chains toward resilience and sustainability
• Technological innovation in green technologies and renewable energy
• Increasing importance of ESG criteria in investment decisions
• Higher transparency expectations from customers, investors, and the public

Selected Project and Study Topics

• Sustainability megatrend deep dive and its impact on strategy and target systems of an industrial supplier
• Analysis of OEM climate targets and strategies (recycling, waste reduction, bio-based materials, alternative powertrains, material efficiency)
• Green energy sourcing strategies via PPAs in Europe, North America, and Asia
• Identification and evaluation of suppliers for sustainable materials
• Development of low-carbon business models in raw material sourcing (e.g., brewing industry)
• Willingness-to-pay analysis and market entry strategies for novel CCU materials
• Competitive analysis in sustainable fiber production
• Impact of regulatory frameworks (e.g., Green Deal) on livestock supply chains
• Benchmarking of sustainability reporting in industrial companies
• Development and assessment of sustainability indicators (e.g., carbon footprint, green technologies, renewable energy)
• Industry benchmarks for corporate social responsibility
• Stakeholder surveys on the perception of corporate sustainability activities