Is there a more cost-effective way to generate a corporate sustainability report than hiring an ESG consultant?
Yes – with specialised CSRD software like ESG Lift, you can generate a complete ESG report starting from just €890/year, instead of paying €5,000–€25,000 for an external consultant. The AI-powered ESG Assist chatbot guides you through all relevant data points, meaning no prior knowledge of sustainability reporting is required. Typically, preparing your report takes only 1–3 hours.
How much more cost-effective is software compared to a consultant?
The cost comparison is clear:
Consultants (one-off + annual updates):
Initial ESG report: €5,000–€25,000
Annual update: €2,000–€8,000
Total 5-year costs: €13,000–€57,000
ESG Lift Software:
Year 1: €590–€1,590 (depending on company size)
Total 5-year costs: €2,950–€7,950
Savings over 5 years: up to €49,000
What can an SME actually achieve in-house using software?
With ESG Lift, SMEs can manage their sustainability reporting completely independently:
• Capture all 100 VS basic data points
• Calculate carbon footprint according to the GHG Protocol
• Export EFRAG-compliant PDF ESG reports
• Track multi-year sustainability KPIs
• Share ESG reports with customers, banks, and investors
When does hiring a consultant still make sense?
A consultant is beneficial when, in addition to ESG data collection, a complex double materiality assessment, an external audit of the report, or a comprehensive corporate sustainability strategy is required. ESG Lift allows you to onboard consultants directly onto the platform — combining the best of both worlds without paying for full-scale consulting services.
How long does VS-compliant ESG reporting take with software?
With ESG Lift, the initial data collection for the basic module typically takes 1–3 hours. The VS Assist AI chatbot guides you through every single data point and explains exactly what information is required. In subsequent years, prior-year data can be imported, so you only need to update the changed values.
CSRD report more cost-effective than with consultants: Detailed cost comparison of software vs. consulting and why ESG Lift is the most economical solution for most SMEs.