What is the Voluntary Sustainability Standard?
The VS (Voluntary Standard) is a voluntary EU standard for sustainability reporting by small and medium-sized enterprises. It was developed by EFRAG and adopted by the European Commission with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1560 (published on 21 September 2026). It is far leaner than the CSRD standard for large corporates: 147 data points instead of over 1,100. With ESG Lift, SMEs can generate their VS report in just 1 to 3 hours, from as little as €890 per year.
What is the VS?
VS stands for Voluntary Standard – the voluntary standard for sustainability reporting by small and medium-sized enterprises. It builds on EFRAG’s VSME standard (Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for non-listed SMEs) and was adopted by the European Commission with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1560. The regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 21 September 2026. The VS is the European counterpart to the CSRD standard for large corporations, but has been deliberately designed to be more streamlined and practical.
Who is the VS Standard for?
The VS is aimed at companies with up to 1,000 employees that are not already obliged to report on sustainability under the mandatory European rules – in particular small and medium-sized enterprises. While reporting remains voluntary, it is increasingly being demanded by banks, corporate clients, and supply chain partners as proof of ESG compliance.
How many data points does the VS contain?
The VS comprises a total of 147 data points: 100 in the basic module (covering 11 disclosure areas) and 47 in the optional supplementary module (covering 9 areas). By comparison, the full ESRS framework for CSRD-regulated large enterprises contains over 1,100 data points.
How do I generate a VS report with ESG Lift?
ESG Lift guides SMEs step-by-step through all VS data points – featuring user-friendly guidance, the integrated AI assistant VS Assist, automated carbon footprinting in line with the GHG Protocol, and EFRAG-compliant PDF report export. Pricing plans: €590/year (up to 10 employees), €890/year (up to 50 employees), €1,590/year (up to 1,000 employees).
The VS Standard simplified: What it is, who it applies to, how many data points it contains, and how SMEs can implement it in 1–3 hours using ESG Lift.
Who developed the VS standard, and when was this ESG framework established? ›