Corporate Sustainability Consulting: Process and Benefits
Who is this guide for?
This article is written for business owners and managers who are unsure where to start with sustainability, or who have begun receiving questions about their environmental performance from customers or financial institutions. In plain language, we explain what corporate sustainability consulting is, the steps it follows, the information you need to prepare and where businesses tend to get stuck in practice.
What is corporate sustainability consulting, and which businesses does it concern?
Corporate sustainability consulting is a specialist service that measures a business's current position on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters, sets priorities and turns them into a practical action plan. The aim is not simply to produce a statement of good intentions, but to build a management approach based on measurable data in areas such as energy, water, waste, emissions, employee health and management processes.
Sustainability is now reaching businesses' agendas in several ways. Companies that sell products or services abroad may receive requests from buyers for carbon and environmental data, and financial institutions may examine environmental and social risks in more detail when assessing loans. In Türkiye, standards on sustainability reporting have also become mandatory for certain companies under the regulations in force. Current legislation can be accessed through the Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (Turkish Legislation Information System).
The topic is particularly relevant to exporting manufacturers, companies working with large brands in their supply chain, accommodation and tourism businesses, facilities with high energy and water consumption, and construction and logistics firms serving corporate clients. For small and medium-sized businesses with no reporting obligation, sustainability still matters for cost control, legal compliance and readiness for customer expectations.
How does the sustainability consulting process work?
Sustainability consulting is a cyclical process that starts with an assessment of the current situation and continues through prioritisation, target setting, implementation and reporting. Because every business has a different starting point, the scope of each step varies with the size and sector of the business.
1. Baseline assessment
In the first step, the business's energy, water and fuel consumption, waste types and quantities, environmental permits, management systems and occupational health and safety practices are reviewed. Site visits, document reviews and interviews with the relevant departments make it clear where the business currently stands.
2. Prioritisation (materiality assessment)
Not every topic carries the same weight for every business. A materiality assessment considers both the business's impact on the environment and society and the effect of these topics on the business's financial position. Priority topics are then identified, taking into account the expectations of stakeholders such as customers, employees, suppliers and financial institutions.
3. Targets and roadmap
For the priority topics, measurable targets are set, together with a roadmap that assigns responsible people, a budget and a timeline for reaching them. Targets should be realistic; a target that cannot be measured can be neither managed nor reported.
4. Implementation
At this stage, the steps in the roadmap are put into practice. This may include separating waste at source, energy and water efficiency measures, carbon footprint calculation, supplier assessment, employee training and, where needed, setting up management systems such as ISO 14001.
5. Monitoring and reporting
The results of implementation are measured regularly, compared against the targets and the plan is updated where necessary. The data collected can be used for internal reporting, customer requests or a public sustainability report. You can find more detail on the scope of this work and how we carry it out on our sustainability consulting page.
What information should you prepare before starting?
For the process to run efficiently, the business should gather its core data and documents from the outset. The list below can serve as a starting point across different sectors:
Electricity, natural gas, fuel and water bills or meter readings for recent periods
Waste types, quantities and delivery records for licensed contractors
Existing environmental permits, licences or exemption letters, and records in UÇBS (Ulusal Çevre Bilgi Sistemi, the National Environmental Information System)
An ÇED (Environmental Impact Assessment) decision or an "ÇED Not Required" decision, if applicable
ISO certificates held and internal audit reports
Basic information on production or service capacity (such as production volume, number of overnight stays or number of employees)
Vehicle fleet and in-company transport information
A list of main suppliers and key purchasing items
Sustainability questionnaires received from customers or financial institutions
Occupational health and safety records and information on employee training
Missing data does not stop the process; however, in that case, setting up the measurement infrastructure becomes part of the roadmap.
Common mistakes and points to watch
A common mistake is to treat sustainability purely as a communications exercise and to start with claims that have no data behind them. Terms such as "eco-friendly" or "carbon neutral" can damage a business's credibility when they are not backed by measurement and documentation, and may lead to accusations of greenwashing.
Other points to watch in practice include:
Skipping legal compliance: Sustainability targets lose their meaning if basic legal requirements, such as environmental permits and waste obligations, have not been met.
Collecting data only once: A one-off report loses its value when it cannot be compared with the following period.
Leaving responsibility to one person: Sustainability requires the involvement of purchasing, production, human resources and finance.
Using off-the-shelf templates: Targets and indicators designed for another sector do not reflect the business's real impacts.
Not securing senior management support: A plan without a budget and authority stays on paper.
Notes for businesses in Antalya
In Antalya, sustainability is a concrete agenda item, especially for businesses in tourism, agriculture and food, construction and services. Foreign tour operators and booking platforms may ask accommodation facilities for information and documents on their environmental performance, and energy, water and waste management matter for hotels in terms of both cost and guest expectations.
Companies engaged in greenhouse farming and agricultural exports may face supply chain expectations from buyers in Europe. During hot, dry summers, efficient use of water resources is a direct operational risk for many businesses in the region. On the construction and industrial side, waste management and energy efficiency form the foundation of sustainability work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a small business need sustainability consulting?
Even without a legal reporting obligation, small businesses can benefit from sustainability work. Regularly monitoring energy, water and waste data makes costs visible and helps the business prepare for supplier questionnaires from larger customers. The scope can be kept simple to suit the size of the business.
Are sustainability consulting and ISO 14001 the same thing?
No. The two complement each other but are not the same. ISO 14001 is a certifiable standard for environmental management systems, whereas sustainability work covers social and governance topics as well as environmental ones. A business that already has ISO 14001 starts its sustainability work with a stronger data foundation.
Is preparing a sustainability report mandatory?
Whether it is mandatory depends on the size of the business and the scope of the regulations in force. In Türkiye, standards on sustainability reporting apply to companies that meet certain criteria, and the scope may be updated over time. Businesses outside the scope may also prepare a report voluntarily at the request of customers or financial institutions.
How long does sustainability work take?
The duration depends on the size of the business, the state of its existing data and the intended output. While the baseline assessment and roadmap can be completed relatively quickly, implementation and monitoring require ongoing effort. Sustainability is not a one-off project but a management process that is reviewed regularly.
Contact Us
To work out together where your business should begin its sustainability work, you can get in touch with our team in Muratpaşa/Antalya.
Written by Selin Sevinç, Environmental Engineer (MSc), Asel Çevre Danışmanlık.
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