Question 1

What is ESGdesk™?

Accepted Answer

ESGdesk™ is a SaaS platform for European SMEs to implement EFRAG's VSME Basic Standard (B1–B11) and produce Audit-Ready reports. It collects and structures Environmental (energy, water, waste, carbon footprint, renewable energy), Social (health & safety, employment) and Governance data against the VSME B-disclosure fields, with AI-Assisted document imports, GHG Protocol-based carbon footprint calculations, an Auditor Portal for third-party review, and a built-in AI assistant (Elisa) to guide you through the process.

Question 2

Is ESGdesk™ an ESG consulting or compliance service?

Accepted Answer

No. ESGdesk™ is a data-collection and reporting tool focused on VSME Basic Standard implementation with GHG Protocol-based emissions methodology — not a consulting or advisory service. It produces Audit-Ready reports but is not itself an ISO-certified or audited service: it does not provide legal, regulatory, or compliance advice and does not guarantee compliance with CSRD, ESRS, or any other regulation. The platform helps you structure your ESG data; responsibility for regulatory compliance remains with your organization.

Question 3

Who is ESGdesk™ for?

Accepted Answer

ESGdesk™ is built for European SMEs (typically 10 to 1,000+ employees) implementing EFRAG's VSME Basic Standard, preparing for future CSRD scope-up, or building voluntary sustainability reporting in response to customer, lender or investor ESG questionnaires — without the cost or complexity of enterprise platforms.

Typical users include finance managers, operations leads, EHS coordinators and compliance officers at production, logistics, consumer goods and services companies.

If you're a larger organization with multi-entity consolidation needs or require a full CSRD disclosure module, contact us — ESGdesk may still be the right fit depending on your requirements.

Question 4

What is the VSME Basic Standard?

Accepted Answer

VSME is the Voluntary SME Standard published by EFRAG (the body that also develops the ESRS). The Basic Module covers eleven disclosures (B1–B11) on company profile, environment, workforce and governance. It is designed for SMEs that are not yet in scope of CSRD but want a structured, comparable way to report ESG data and prepare for future CSRD requirements.

Question 5

Do I need VSME or CSRD?

Accepted Answer

CSRD is mandatory under EU law for large enterprises and listed companies meeting size thresholds. VSME is voluntary and aimed at SMEs that want to respond to investor, lender and customer requests without the full CSRD burden. ESGdesk collects and structures your data against VSME B1–B11, which keeps the same data shape you would later need if you become CSRD-required.

Question 6

Is my report ISO 14064 certified?

Accepted Answer

No. ESGdesk does not issue ISO 14064 certification and is not an assurance provider. Our Audit-Ready Report is structured for external review and uses the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard for quantification, with methodology snapshots, sources and recalculation traceability. If you need formal assurance, an independent audit firm can review the report and underlying data separately.

Question 7

Does my company need to prepare an ESG or CSRD report?

Accepted Answer

For most European SMEs the default pathway is the VSME Basic Standard — EFRAG's voluntary framework (B1–B11) designed for companies below the CSRD threshold that still face ESG questions from customers, banks and investors. CSRD itself is mandatory only for larger enterprises and listed companies and is being phased in from 2024 to 2029. ESGdesk™ includes a free online self-assessment tool that evaluates your company profile and helps you understand whether VSME, CSRD, or both apply to you.

Question 8

Can I use ESGdesk™ even if I am not legally required to report?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the VSME Basic Standard is voluntary for SMEs, and ESGdesk™ helps you build VSME-aligned reports proactively. Many companies use the platform to respond to customer, lender and investor ESG questionnaires, prepare for upcoming regulations, track their carbon footprint with GHG Protocol-based methodology, or simply organize environmental, social and governance data in a structured way.

Question 9

What is Audit-Ready Mode and when can I use it?

Accepted Answer

Audit-Ready Mode locks your reporting year and produces CSRD/ESRS-aligned audit-ready reports. You can enter Audit-Ready Mode only after closing a reporting year. Once locked, data for that year cannot be edited.

Question 10

How does ESGdesk™ collect data?

Accepted Answer

Data is entered monthly per location using structured forms across ESG categories: Energy (electricity, heating, fuel), Water (consumption, wastewater), Waste (by type and disposal method), Health & Safety (incidents, lost days), and Employment (headcount by gender). You can enter data manually or use AI-Assisted Imports to automatically extract values from uploaded invoices and documents. Each entry supports evidence file attachments for audit readiness.

Question 11

Can multiple users work on different locations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ESGdesk™ supports four roles: Owner, Admin, Contributor, and Auditor. Owners and Admins can invite team members and assign them to specific locations. Contributors focus on data entry for their assigned locations. The Auditor role provides read-only access to data and reports (indicated by a purple badge) for third-party verification. Admins have full access to manage the workspace, users, and reports.

Question 12

Can I upload supporting documents (evidence)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can upload supporting files such as utility invoices, fuel receipts, waste reports, or spreadsheets to back up your ESG data entries. Evidence files are stored securely for up to 5 years and are included in the Audit-Ready Report with SHA-256 file hashes for tamper-proof verification.

Question 13

What is AI-Assisted Imports and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

AI-Assisted Imports is a feature that automatically extracts ESG data from utility invoices, fuel receipts, and waste documents. Simply upload a PDF or image — the AI analyzes it, detects the provider and data fields, and fills in the form for your review. The document is automatically attached as evidence. Scan limits per plan: FREE TRIAL — 3 scans total, STANDARD — 30 scans/month, PRO — unlimited scans.

Question 14

How do I give my auditor access to ESGdesk™?

Accepted Answer

On the PRO tier: Company Settings → Users → Grant Auditor Access. Choose the auditor email and the access duration (90 or 180 days). The auditor receives a magic link and gets read-only access to all data and reports.

Question 15

What kind of reports can I generate?

Accepted Answer

ESGdesk™ offers two report types: Management Extract (available in Standard and PRO plans) and Audit-Ready Report (available exclusively in the PRO plan). Both are available as PDF and CSV exports. The Audit-Ready Report is generated using the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard. (Note: ESGdesk does not provide ISO certification; the report supports your own external audit or assurance workflow.)

Question 16

What is the difference between a Management Extract and an Audit-Ready Report?

Accepted Answer

A Management Extract is a flexible internal report — you can select which ESG categories to include when generating the PDF. An Audit-Ready Report is a comprehensive, locked report that includes all ESG categories plus audit-grade chapters: Files Evidence, Audit Trail, Report Integrity, and Methodology. It is designed for external stakeholders, auditors, and banks.

Question 17

Which report type is available in each plan?

Accepted Answer

The Standard plan includes Management Extract reports (PDF & CSV). The PRO plan includes both Management Extract and Audit-Ready Reports. The FREE TRIAL provides full report preview but no PDF/CSV export.

Question 18

What does the Management Extract report contain?

Accepted Answer

The Management Extract includes: AI-generated Executive Summary, Company Profile, Locations, ESG Financial Performance, Renewable Energy (RES), Carbon Footprint, Energy, Water, Waste, Health & Safety, and Employment Data. You can select which categories to include when generating the PDF.

Question 19

What does the Audit-Ready Report contain?

Accepted Answer

The ISO-Aligned Audit-Ready Report contains everything in the Management Extract plus four additional audit-grade chapters: Files Evidence (with SHA-256 file hashes), Audit Trail (full data change history), Integrity & ISO-aligned Architecture (locked report hash, methodology version, closure timestamp), and Methodology & Calculation Framework (emission factors, RES country factors, calculation formulas). The report requires a closed reporting year and cannot be customized — all sections are included to ensure audit integrity.

Question 20

Can I choose which categories to include in my report?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but only in the Management Extract. When generating a Management Extract PDF, you can select which ESG categories to include or exclude. The Audit-Ready Report always includes all categories and audit-grade chapters — no selection is possible, as this ensures the report meets audit-readiness standards.

Question 21

How long are reports and files stored?

Accepted Answer

All paid plans include secure access to generated reports, evidence files, and supporting documentation for up to 5 years. This applies to both Standard and PRO plans.

Question 22

What happens if I cancel my subscription?

Accepted Answer

You can cancel your subscription at any time. After cancellation, your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period. Once it expires, access to the application and report exports is disabled. Your data is securely retained for the standard retention period and will be available again if you reactivate a plan.

Question 23

What happens when I close a reporting year? Can I reopen it?

Accepted Answer

Closing a reporting year locks it — you cannot edit data for that year. The carbon footprint and methodology used are frozen. Closed years cannot be reopened; your data remains accessible in reports and exports. To make changes, contact support@esgdesk.ai.

Question 24

What happens when I erase all my data?

Accepted Answer

Erase Data removes all monthly records (electricity, gas, water, waste, etc.). Your Locations and Renewable Energy Source configurations are preserved. This action cannot be undone — download an export first if you want to keep a copy.

Question 25

Where do the emission factors and coefficients come from?

Accepted Answer

ESGdesk™ uses Methodology Datasets (ELISA) updated annually from sources such as EEA (grid factors), JRC PVGIS (solar), IRENA (bioenergy), and UK DEFRA (fixed factors). You can view the active dataset in Methodology Settings.

Question 26

How do I configure Renewable Energy Sources (RES)?

Accepted Answer

In each Location, add RES sources (solar, wind, bioenergy) with capacity. ESGdesk™ calculates monthly production using country-specific factors and seasonal profiles. RES data impacts your carbon intensity calculations.

Question 27

When do I need to pay?

Accepted Answer

You can use ESGdesk™ free for 14 days with full access to data entry, collaboration, and report preview. Exporting reports (PDF & CSV) is always locked until a paid plan is activated. After the 14-day free trial ends, access to the app is paused until you activate a paid subscription. Your data remains secure and will be available again once a plan is activated.

Question 28

What pricing plans are available?

Accepted Answer

ESGdesk™ offers two paid plans after the 14-day free trial:

• Standard — €120/month (monthly) or €90/month billed yearly (€1.080/year). Includes 5 locations, 5 team members, 30 AI document scans/month, Management Extract reports (PDF & CSV), 5-year evidence storage, and a full audit trail.

• PRO — €200/month (monthly) or €150/month billed yearly (€1.800/year). Includes everything in Standard plus unlimited locations, unlimited team members, unlimited AI scans, Audit-Ready reports, priority support, and Auditor Portal access.

Yearly billing saves 25% compared to monthly billing on both plans.

Question 29

Is this a one-time report purchase?

Accepted Answer

No. ESGdesk™ is a subscription-based SaaS platform. Your subscription provides continuous access to data entry, AI-Assisted Imports, report generation, evidence storage, audit trail, and all historical records. You can choose between monthly or yearly billing, and cancel at any time.

Question 30

What happens after the 14-day free trial?

Accepted Answer

After your 14-day trial ends, access to the application is paused until you activate a paid subscription (Standard or PRO). Your data remains securely preserved — nothing is deleted. Once you subscribe, you can resume exactly where you left off with full access to all previously entered data, evidence files, and reports.

Question 31

Can I export reports during the free trial?

Accepted Answer

No. Report exports (PDF & CSV) are only available with a paid subscription (Standard or PRO). During the trial, you can enter data, manage locations, invite team members, use AI-Assisted Imports (up to 3 scans), and preview reports — but downloading exports is locked.

Question 32

What happens to my data if my trial ends?

Accepted Answer

Your data is securely preserved even after the trial ends. Nothing is deleted. Once you subscribe to a paid plan, you will have full access to all previously entered data, evidence files, and historical records, and can continue from where you left off.

Question 33

Can I cancel my subscription anytime?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any time from the Billing page. After cancellation, your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period (monthly or yearly). No refunds are issued for partial periods. Your data is retained and accessible again if you resubscribe.

Question 34

Where is my data stored?

Accepted Answer

ESGdesk™ stores all customer data on EU-based cloud infrastructure (Frankfurt, Germany — eu-central-1), in compliance with GDPR. Note: AI-powered features (such as document scanning and chat assistance) may involve data transfer to AI providers outside the EU under Standard Contractual Clauses. See our Privacy Policy for details.

Question 35

Can ESGdesk™ staff see my data?

Accepted Answer

No. ESGdesk™ does not access customer data by default. Support access to your company workspace can only be granted explicitly by an Admin or Owner from within the Settings page, and all access is logged in the audit trail.

Question 36

Does ESGdesk™ support two-factor authentication?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All users can enable MFA via User Settings → Security. Platform admins must use MFA to access /platform-admin.

Question 37

Can I export or delete all my data (GDPR)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Download a full data export from User Settings → Privacy & Data (GDPR Article 15). Request account deletion for permanent removal (GDPR Article 17). See our Privacy Policy for details.

Question 38

What is Elisa and what can it do?

Accepted Answer

Elisa is ESGdesk™'s AI assistant. Use it to scan utility bills and extract consumption data, ask questions about ESG reporting, and translate reports and summaries. All AI suggestions appear as drafts for your review before saving.

Question 39

Which languages are supported?

Accepted Answer

ESGdesk™ is available in 13 languages: English, Polish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Portuguese, and Swedish. English is the primary source language. All reports are generated in the language selected by the user.

Question 40

Can I change the language later?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can change the interface language at any time using the language switcher available in the navigation bar. Your preference is saved and applied across all sessions.

Question 41

How do I contact the ESGdesk™ support team?

Accepted Answer

Use the Contact form at /contact or email support@esgdesk.ai. ESGdesk™ also offers multi-language booking for calls — go to /book-call to schedule with available agents (EN, DE, PL).

Frequently Asked Questions

Product & Purpose

ESG / CSRD Scope

How ESGdesk™ Works

Reports & Data Retention

Pricing & Subscription

Security & Data

AI Assistant (Elisa)

Languages

Support