As ESG reporting becomes more rigorous, the need for consistent, inclusive, and scalable data is growing. The Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for SMEs (VSME) offers a new pathway to bring your smallest suppliers into the fold — helping improve data quality, strengthen supply chain transparency, and future-proof compliance efforts.
Here are a few questions that our experts answer in this session:
- What is considered a realistic level of ESG data to request from smallholder suppliers in agriculture, without overburdening them or risking disengagement?
- Can the VSME standard be applied collectively—for example, through a processor or cooperative—rather than requiring each farmer to report individually?
- How does the VSME standard address qualitative data (e.g. social or biodiversity practices) when suppliers may lack formal records?
- Are there recommended digital tools or formats for aggregating ESG data from rural suppliers with limited internet access or digital literacy?
- In practical terms, are tools like KoBoToolbox, mobile surveys, or cooperative-based data collection methods considered suitable for implementing the VSME standard in rural agricultural supply chains with limited connectivity?
- What are the best practices for integrating Integrated Reporting and the VSME Report, avoiding duplication and maximising efficiency?
- Are there any new questions being added to the questionnaire due for submission in November?
- How can a company track and improve environmental metrics when operating mainly in-office? We are a marketing company, so our environmental indicators are typically low in this area.
- Are SMEs recommended to publicly publish this information, and if so where? (In a sustainability report, in a public database somewhere?)
- Will EcoVadis provide a report pr entity in line with VSME framework for enterprises that are noy subject to the CSRD reporting framework?
- Are banks requesting VSME reporting like styles?
- Why is VSME important for my organisation’s sustainability efforts? Does it make a big difference to include this in addition to other frameworks or does it replace certain frameworks? Please advise on the context of how to use VSME to upgrade our sustainability as an semiconductor manufacturing firm.
- How will the VSME work in line with the mass of existing reporting? (voluntary and mandatory : CDP, EcoVadis, TCFD, SECR, ESOS, SBTi, UNGC & those upcoming S1,S2…)
- How does it affect suppliers of these SMEs who operate outside of the EU?
