The CONFESS project (Clean Energy Certification), co-funded by the European Commission, aims to develop a harmonized certification system specifically designed for SMEs in the clean energy sector. This system seeks to address the specific needs of SMEs and financial stakeholders by enhancing accessibility and encouraging widespread adoption within the sector. The system will be based on the foundations of the European Union taxonomy and on advanced energy-related metrics, in order to accurately assess and determine the environmental sustainability of SMEs. It will provide a standardized evaluation framework that goes beyond the current EU taxonomy criteria.
The project is coordinated by RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHEN (RWTH AACHEN), based in Germany. Project partners include INGMAR JURGENS & DAVID RUSNOK ADVISOR (ClimCom), also based in Germany; INTERNATIONAL SUSTAINABLE FINANCE CENTRE, ZU (ISFC) and CESKE VYSOKE UCENI TECHNICKE V PRAZE (CVUT), both based in the Czech Republic; and CIRCULAR SRL, based in Italy.
Financial markets and companies are increasingly influenced by evolving sustainability regulations, driving the demand for reliable and easily accessible information regarding the sustainable practices of their stakeholders. To foster a shared understanding of environmental sustainability among companies, investors, and policymakers, the European Commission introduced the EU Taxonomy—a classification system for economic activities that meet environmental sustainability criteria within the EU.
Under this regulation, financial market participants and companies must disclose the extent to which their activities align with the taxonomy criteria. This poses an indirect challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which, often limited in resources, struggle to comply with sustainability regulations that are crucial for attracting investments.
The project involves collaborations with financial institutions and certifiers in the pilot countries to test the effectiveness of the certification scheme, aiming to support the growth of sustainable energy investments.
The project aims to identify any activities not yet aligned with the EU taxonomy that should be included in the certification scheme. The research focuses on understanding the selection requirements of financial institutions regarding SMEs in the clean energy sector and their needs concerning the dissemination of sustainability information.
The goal of the research is to provide valuable insights for the development of the certification scheme through an in-depth analysis of the main activities of SMEs in the sector. This will allow for a comprehensive overview and an accurate evaluation of their alignment with the EU taxonomy. Additionally, the current state of sustainability reporting among SMEs is assessed to develop robust certification criteria.
To enable SMEs to easily demonstrate their efforts toward sustainable operations, a tool named “Clean Leap” has been developed. This tool simplifies compliance with sustainability criteria aligned with the EU taxonomy, supported by the pilot test of the SME Taxonomy Tool. It focuses on developing a compliance framework tailored to the needs of SMEs operating in the clean energy sector in Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic.
