ESG data requests · Industrial & logistics SME suppliers · Rotterdam
Keep your customers when the sustainability data requests land
The Circular Bulb is an independent sustainability consultancy in Rotterdam. TCB helps industrial and logistics SME suppliers in the Port of Rotterdam corridor answer the environmental, social and governance (ESG) data requests their large customers send before, during and after tenders.
The result: sustainability systems that protect revenue, reduce risk and improve performance.
If a customer has ever sent you a sustainability questionnaire you weren't ready for, that is the problem TCB solves.
Book a 15-minute call See the approachThe opportunity
Why are customers asking suppliers for ESG data?
Supply chain regulations are reshaping what large companies expect from their SME suppliers. The companies that move first gain a lasting advantage over those that wait.
Supply chain demand
of large buying organisations now require ESG data from their suppliers. Large industrial operators ask their SME suppliers for ESG credentials and carbon emissions data. A credible answer protects existing contracts and opens new ones.IntegrityNext, State of Sustainable Procurement 2025
Regulatory momentum
of companies are not yet ready for incoming ESG data-assurance requirements. CSRD (the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), ECGT, ESPR, CBAM and PPWR are progressively extending obligations down the supply chain. Early preparation reduces both cost and risk.KPMG ESG assurance survey, 2025
Consumer-driven data pull
The EU Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (ECGT) is pushing large companies to substantiate their green claims. That pressure flows straight down to suppliers as requests for carbon data like a Product Carbon Footprint. Suppliers who can answer keep their place on the shelf.
Operational efficiency
Resource and energy improvements pay for themselves. Mapping consumption helps uncover efficiency opportunities that already exist in your business.
Access to finance
Banks and investors increasingly apply ESG screens. A documented sustainability baseline strengthens financing conversations and reduces perceived risk.
Who TCB works with
Built for SME suppliers under pressure from their customers
TCB works best with companies that recognise this picture. If only part of it fits, the conversation is still worth having.
Industrial & logistics suppliers
Companies in industrial and logistical supply chains around the Port of Rotterdam, working B2B and in English.
Selling to large customers
Suppliers to large companies under CSRD or ECGT scope, or to customers that certify through EcoVadis (a widely used supplier sustainability rating).
Facing ESG data requests
Dealing with sustainability questionnaires and data requests before, during or after a tender, and feeling the cost of answering them ad hoc.
No in-house ESG function
Without a consolidated sustainability strategy or a dedicated team to build one.
Not a perfect match? TCB still helps companies outside this profile, including larger firms and one-off needs such as PPWR support. The profile describes where TCB fits best, not the only work it takes on.
Services
The Sustainability Journey
A modular programme that takes a company through every stage of sustainability management, built around the EU VSME standard (the Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for SMEs). Start with one step and decide how far to go.
1 · Sustainability Baseline
Identify the ESG topics and the sustainability-linked legislation relevant to your business.
2 · Strategy and Roadmap
Set priorities, define policies and build a roadmap that fits the business.
3 · Implementation Support
Put the plan into action, from process reviews to governance setup.
4 · Data and Monitoring
Map data sources and simplify the monitoring that reporting depends on.
5 · Reporting
Deliver a first VSME-aligned sustainability report, ready to share.
6 · Commercial Integration
Turn the sustainability profile into stronger tenders and client conversations.
Case study
When the numbers get run, savings and risks surface together
"We were losing 28% of a feedstock as CO₂. Nobody had flagged it until we ran the numbers."
A product carbon footprint uncovered a feedstock loss that engineering fixed at net-zero cost. And the data gathered for reporting became a live business dashboard for the directors.
Sustainability data, pulled together, is business intelligence. That is the shift TCB helps suppliers around the Port of Rotterdam make.
Read the full case study →
About
Independent. Experienced. Rotterdam-based.
Most SME suppliers meet ESG for the first time as a customer demand: a questionnaire at tender, an EcoVadis request, a carbon data form. TCB exists because those companies deserve the same quality of sustainability support that large corporations hire in-house.
Behind TCB is Luciano Lopez: 14 years across project management and environmental consultancy, and hands-on ESG delivery inside the Rotterdam petrochemical industry, including building a sustainability management system from scratch as the sole sustainability officer of a chemical site in Botlek.
Read the full storyKnowledge
Free resources for SME suppliers
Practical content on the regulations and frameworks that matter most for companies in industrial and logistics supply chains.
Article
Your customer asked for ESG data. Now what?
How the EU Empowering Consumers Directive (ECGT) is turning large-company green claims into data requests for their suppliers, and the practical steps an SME can take to be ready.
Read the article →Resource hub
Guides on ESG basics, legislation and PPWR
Starter guides for non-sustainability professionals: what ESG is, which EU rules can reach your business through your customers, and what PPWR requires from packaging.
Browse all resources →Book a 15-minute call
Ask questions about TCB's approach, discuss your situation, or simply get acquainted. No agenda required.
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