The World Summit on Sustainable Development WSSD in Johannesburg, unites more than 20,000 delegates and produces the Johannesburg Declaration with binding, quantifiable millennium goals.

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) emerges as the first widely adopted reporting standard.

A UN global compact report entitled “Who Cares Wins” introduces the ESG term into global discourse.

The Kyoto Protocol enters into force — climate action moves from theory to policy.

UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) launches — investors adopt ESG criteria.

Sustainserv founded by three scientists — Bernd Kasemir (ETH Zurich), Matthew Gardner (MIT) and Stephan Lienin (ETH Zurich). Launched in Zurich and Boston as a spin-off from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), part of Switzerland’s ETH domain.

First consulting projects for corporates mainly focusing on sustainability strategy development and sustainable construction programs, as well as sustainable finance approaches for products in the insurance industry.

First consulting project on implementing sustainability reporting, with the Swiss medtech company Straumann.

First development of sustainability reports implementing the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 guidelines. Start of a core service offering that has supported over 200 companies and produced more than 500 reports.

Boston office starts a ~10 year-mandate as the secretariat of the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN).

Expansion of mandates for corporate sustainability leaders such as Geberit and State Street to develop sustainable strategies and reporting.

Materiality analyses as the foundation for strategy and reporting becomes a cornerstone of corporate sustainability and integrated into GRI’s G4 guidelines.

IIRC releases International Integrated Reporting Framework; EU proposes Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD).

Paris Agreement and UN SDGs create a clear ‘North Star’ for corporate sustainability action.

Sustainserv becomes a GRI Certified Training Partner, training hundreds of professionals in the following years.

Finalization of 3-year-mandate on the “Future of Urban Mobility” initiative, a program with 50 stakeholders to develop vision, targets and actions on sustainable mobility in the region of Zurich (Report ).

First double materiality analysis for a global financial institution.

Exceedes 200 client sustainability reports supported worldwide. Recognized as global #1 Reporting Services Provider by Corporate Register .

The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) becomes the new global gold standard in 2017, framing climate change as a financial risk issue.

The EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan is launched.

In October 2018, a group of institutional investors actively petitioned the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to codify mandatory ESG disclosure rules.

Sustainserv moves its US office to its current location on State Street in Boston’s Financial District.

Clariant’s first ever Integrated Report supported by Sustainserv introducing sustainability as a core value driver; follow-up reports in the coming years winning awards and recognized as best-practice model for integrated reporting.

Sustainserv supports first clients as they submit and validate Science-Based Greenhouse Gas targets.

Sustainserv’s German office opens in Munich to serve EU clients navigating new regulations.

EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) confirmed.

ISSB and TNFD launched — global frameworks converge and Sustainability reporting becomes a specialized discipline with emerging skills shortages.

Swiss Code of Obligations enhanced to require large companies to report on non-financial matters.

California climate risk and disclosure laws introduced and passes with implementation for 2026.

Celebrates 20-year anniversary — hundreds of companies served worldwide contributed to 400+ sustainability reports worldwide.

German Sustainserv office moves to Frankfurt to be close to financial market players.

Sustainserv supports peak number of clients to develop targets on carbon emission reductions.

Serviced portfolio evolves to include CSRD compliance, ESRS readiness, science-based targets implementation and TCFD-aligned climate risk analysis.

The post-World War II era of strong transatlantic coordination increasingly overshadowed by geopolitical fragmentation and protectionism.

International companies need help in finding a delicate balance, committing to certain sustainability principles in some jurisdictions that they can less openly endorse in others.

AI is transforming sustainability data collection and reporting at unprecedented speed.

Nature and biodiversity (TNFD) emerging as the next sustainability frontier alongside climate.

Sustainability regulation 2.0: smarter, more targeted frameworks replace first-generation rules.

25th anniversary year — positioned to help clients integrate, automate and strengthen sustainability systems.

Increasing client support for responding to complex mix of multi-layered requirements from IFRS/ISSB, amended ESRS and local regulations.

Expertise spanning TNFD nature assessments, SBTi 2.0 climate targets and AI-enabled reporting.

Enhancing the founding mission: turning sustainability into an opportunity to create value for companies, the environment and society.