Comprehensive initiatives for responsible corporate governance: EQS Group publishes sustainability report 2023

EQS-Media / 06.05.2024 / 09:30 CET/CEST

With about 550 employees worldwide, the international cloud provider in the areas of compliance, investor relations and sustainability reporting is pursuing an ambitious program of measures to fulfill its mission of sustainable and responsible corporate governance. The comprehensive 2023 sustainability report emphasizes the significance of transparency as a corporate value of EQS Group.

For EQS Group, business success has gone hand in hand with responsibility from the first day since the company was founded, especially with regards to ethical business behavior and integrity. With its products and services, the company supports its customers in effectively combating corruption and bribery and in fulfilling regulatory reporting requirements.

"Corporate responsibility for our society and the environment is an integral part of our corporate strategy," explains Achim Weick, founder and CEO of EQS Group. "Our sustainability efforts are already at a good level, which is reflected in, among other things, our strong position in the EcoVadis sustainability ranking. This success motivates us to do even better. We have already optimized or launched many internal processes and initiatives over the past year to reduce emissions and increase energy efficiency. At the same time, we are aware that we still have a long way to go."

The content of the Sustainability Report 2023 follows the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the industry standard "Software and IT Services" of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the principles of the UN Global Compact.

EcoVadis sustainability ranking: EQS Group awarded silver

Climate protection and the continuous reduction of energy and resource consumption are central components of the sustainability strategy of EQS Group. Even though the company, as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider, is not part of an energy-intensive industry, emissions and energy consumption are important levers to support the transition towards a sustainable economy.

In this reporting year, the company took part in the EcoVadis rating for the first time and received a silver award for its sustainability activities with 69 out of a possible 100 points. This puts EQS Group in the top two percent of companies in the sector assessed.[1] In comparison with all companies evaluated by EcoVadis, EQS Group is in the 92nd percentile. This means that the score achieved is equal to or higher than that of 92 percent of all companies evaluated by EcoVadis.

Transparency as a cornerstone for values and diversity

Sustainability is embedded in all areas at EQS Group. A value-based corporate culture based on transparency and openness is a priority and shapes the company’s commitment to internationality, equal opportunities, and diversity. As an international organization, EQS Group benefits from the different perspectives and ways of working of its employees from 54 nations.

One focus of the measures for diversity and inclusion is the promotion of women in IT. The share of women at EQS Group is 41 percent across all business areas worldwide – above the industry average.[2] EQS Group aims to increase the percentage of female employees throughout the company to 50 percent and, in particular, to promote women at all management levels. To this end, various projects were carried out last year and recruitment measures were continuously expanded accordingly.

Additional milestones from the EQS Group Sustainability Report 2023:

• CO2 reduction: Currently, 52 percent of the electricity used at EQS Group comes from renewable energy sources. Energy-saving measures in the offices and the switch to green electricity have reduced CO2 emissions by 15.8 tons of CO2e in Scope 1 and 28.2 tons of CO2e in Scope 2.
• Social responsibility: A corporate volunteering program enables employees to spend one working day per year doing volunteering work. Last year, 74 EQS employees carried out ten campaigns and volunteered for a total of 388 hours.
• Great Place to Work: The site in Kochi, India, was certified as a "Great Place to Work" for the second time in a row in 2023. For the globally recognized quality seal, employees were surveyed on topics such as trust in the company, respect for employees and fairness in the workplace. In this year’s survey, the "trust index" rose to 85% (2022: 78%).

• Women in IT: To support women in IT training in India, the EQS branch in Kochi initiated a cooperation with the local University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) in December 2023. Initially, ten female students will be supported by covering their tuition fees and mentoring opportunities.

More information:

The full 2023 sustainability report is available to download here: https://www.eqs.com/about-eqs/sustainability/

[1] EQS Group was evaluated in the sector "Data processing, hosting and related activities, web portals".

[2] bitkom press release, April 2023, „Tech-Branche will mehr Frauen gewinnen“, https://www.bitkom-research.de/news/tech-branche-will-mehr-frauen-gewinnen

Press contact

Christina Jahn

Tel.: +49 89 444430133

E-Mail: christina.jahn@eqs.com

About EQS Group

EQS Group is a leading international cloud provider in the areas of corporate compliance, investor relations and sustainability reporting. Thousands of companies across the world use EQS Group’s products to build trust by reliably and securely meeting complex regulatory requirements, minimizing risks and transparently reporting on business performance and its impact on society and the environment.

EQS Group’s products are bundled in the cloud-based software EQS COCKPIT. This allows compliance processes in the areas of whistleblower protection and case handling, policy management and approval processes to be managed just as professionally as business partners, insider lists and reporting obligations. Listed companies also benefit from a global newswire, investor targeting and contact management, as well as IR websites, digital reports and webcasts for efficient and secure investor communication. In addition, EQS Group provides software for the fulfillment of human rights due diligence obligations along corporate supply chains, as well as for compliant sustainability reporting.

EQS Group was founded in Munich in 2000. Today, the group employs around 500 professionals and is represented in the world’s most important financial centers.

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1895557 06.05.2024 CET/CEST