The ZEEUS Sustainability-by-Design Tool has been developed to help startups, SMEs, companies and new business ideas integrate sustainability considerations into decision-making at an early stage.
The tool provides a structured assessment of relevant sustainability topics based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the logic of double materiality from the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). It considers both how a business or business idea may affect the environment and society – the inside-out perspective – and how sustainability-related developments may create risks and opportunities for the business itself – the outside-in perspective.
Designed as a practical screening and prioritisation tool, the assessment covers environmental topics such as climate change, pollution, water, biodiversity and circular economy, as well as social and governance aspects. A qualitative approach makes the tool particularly suitable for situations where detailed sustainability data is not yet available. The results are brought together in a clear dashboard and complemented by recommendations and relevant SDG guidance.
The methodology and tool concept were developed by the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management (IfaS) at Trier University of Applied Sciences (TUAS). As part of the ZEEUS Sustainability-by-Design Hackathon, Team sudo rm * -rf transformed the methodology into a web application, combining the methodological work of IfaS with the creativity and digital skills of participating students. The ZEEUS hackathon was specifically designed around transforming the original Sustainability-by-Design approach into a modern and user-friendly web solution.
With the Sustainability-by-Design Tool, ZEEUS provides users with a simple way to identify what matters, explore potential sustainability risks and opportunities, and consider sustainability before important business decisions are fixed.
Explore the Sustainability-by-Design Tool.
Read more about the ZEEUS Sustainability-by-Design Hackathon: Hackathon article.
