The criteria represent the most basic level of detail and are used to assess and structure sustainability performance, including actions, solutions and indicators.
The score4more model has ca. 70 criteria, which aim to cluster key sustainability action areas. The mapping of criteria to fields and topics can be found in the table
| Field | Topic | No. | Criterion | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate | Climate protection | 1 | Greenhouse gas emissions | Indicator |
| Climate | Climate protection | 2 | Climate footprint | Indicator Comment |
| Climate | Climate protection | 3 | Carbon transparency and incentives | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 4 | Building | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 5 | Energy efficiency | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 6 | Renewable energy | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 7 | Industrial processes | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 8 | Mobility and travel | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 9 | Transport | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 10 | Climate-neutral operation | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 11 | CO2 removal | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 12 | Sustainable Finance | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 13 | Lifestyle | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 14 | Smart Grid | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 15 | Smart Home | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 16 | Energy storage | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 17 | Green IT & Coding | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 18 | Climate solutions and advice | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 19 | Climate communication | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 20 | Climate-friendly products | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate protection | 21 | Agriculture emissions | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate adaptation | 22 | The climate risk | Actions / Solutions |
| Climate | Climate adaptation | 23 | Climate resilience | Actions / Solutions |
| Resources | Circular economy | 1 | Circular solutions | Actions / Solutions |
| Resources | Circular economy | 2 | Circular Design | Actions / Solutions |
| Resources | Circular economy | 3 | Materials | Actions / Solutions |
| Resources | Circular economy | 4 | Packaging | Actions / Solutions |
| Resources | Circular economy | 5 | Waste prevention | Actions / Solutions |
| Resources | Circular economy | 6 | Resource efficiency | Actions / Solutions |
| Resources | Circular economy | 7 | Reuse and recycling | Actions / Solutions |
| Resources | Circular economy | 8 | Waste and emissions | Actions / Solutions |
| Resources | Circular economy | 9 | Paper and digital | Actions / Solutions |
| Resources | Circular economy | 10 | Sharing | Actions / Solutions |
| Resources | Water | 1 | Saving water | Actions / Solutions |
| Resources | Water | 2 | Water storage | Actions / Solutions |
| Resources | Water | 3 | Water cycles | Actions / Solutions |
| Nature | Pollution | 1 | Soil pollutants | Actions / Solutions |
| Nature | Pollution | 2 | Pollutants water | Actions / Solutions |
| Nature | Pollution | 3 | Air pollutants | Actions / Solutions |
| Nature | Pollution | 4 | Dangerous substances | Actions / Solutions |
| Nature | Biodiversity | 1 | Plant-based diet | Actions / Solutions |
| Nature | Biodiversity | 2 | Sustainable food | Actions / Solutions |
| Nature | Biodiversity | 3 | Food waste | Actions / Solutions |
| Nature | Biodiversity | 4 | Sustainable agricultural products | Actions / Solutions |
| Nature | Biodiversity | 5 | Sustainable forestry | Actions / Solutions |
| Nature | Biodiversity | 6 | Animal welfare | Actions / Solutions |
| Nature | Biodiversity | 7 | Surface sealing | Actions / Solutions |
| Nature | Biodiversity | 8 | Ecosystems | Actions / Solutions |
| Nature | Biodiversity | 9 | biodiversity | Actions / Solutions |
| Value chain | Employees | 1 | Working conditions | Actions / Solutions |
| Value chain | Employees | 2 | Equal opportunities | Actions / Solutions |
| Value chain | Employees | 3 | Occupational safety | Actions / Solutions |
| Value chain | Employees | 4 | Continuing education | Actions / Solutions |
| Value chain | Supply chain | 1 | Human rights | Actions / Solutions |
| Value chain | Supply chain | 2 | Cooperation | Actions / Solutions |
| Value chain | Supply chain | 3 | Social development | Actions / Solutions |
| Society | Communities | 1 | Regional impact | Actions / Solutions |
| Society | Communities | 2 | Indigenous peoples | Actions / Solutions |
| Society | Communities | 3 | (Financial) participation | Actions / Solutions |
| Society | End customers | 1 | Affordability | Actions / Solutions |
| Society | End customers | 2 | Health | Actions / Solutions |
| Society | End customers | 3 | Education | Actions / Solutions |
| Society | End customers | 4 | Social impact | Actions / Solutions |
| Society | End customers | 5 | Cohesion | Actions / Solutions |
| Society | End customers | 6 | Consumer protection | Actions / Solutions |
| Society | End customers | 7 | Data protection | Actions / Solutions |
| Society | End customers | 8 | Digital access | Actions / Solutions |
| Society | End customers | 9 | Inclusion | Actions / Solutions |
Each criteria is described and has a context related to the criteria, which are provided based on keywords. The following table provides a respective overview, which can be also found in a separate glossary.:
| Criterion | Description | Selected keywords in the context of criterion |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | Actions and solutions for affordable, socially inclusive, barrier-free products and services for end customers. | afordability, Affordable energy, Affordable health, Affordable mobility, Affordable housing, Affordability, Affordable, Cooperative, Basic care, Low-cost tariffs, Low-cost, Free access, Orphan drugs, Price-controlled, Social tariff |
| Agriculture emissions | Actions and solutions to reduce agriculture-related emissions. | organic agricultural raw materials, biochar, organic farming, organic food, biomass, soil emissions, soil erosion, fertilizers, healthy soils, humus, carbon storage, methane emissions, sustainable food, permaculture, regenerative agriculture |
| Animal Welfare | Actions and solutions for the protection of animals and sustainable handling of animals. | antibiotics, aquaculture, animal welfare, organic animal feed, organic meat, organic farming, animal husbandry, animal welfare, livestock, animal welfare initiative, animal welfare label, animal health, veterinary medicine, pasture |
| Buildings | Actions and solutions for the transformation into a climate-neutral building stock incl. use of wood as a carbon storage. | architecture, building materials, BREEAM, roof, insulation, energy-efficient refurbishment, energy performance certificate, facade, timber construction, LEED, new build, insulation, construction, passive house, renovation |
| Biodiversity | Protection and regeneration of ecosystems and species via sustainable land use | species hot spot, species richness, biodiversity, habitat, insect protection, nature compensation, nature conservation, ecosystem, plants, rainforest, protected areas, rare species, animal welfare, wild animals |
| Carbon footprint | Actions and solutions for the transformation to an energy system based on renewable energies. | 2030, 2045, 2050, CO2 equivalent, CO2 emissions, CO2 reduction, CO2eq, CO2e, corporate carbon footprint, direct emissions, indirect emissions, carbon footprint, net zero, science-based targets, scope |
| Climate communication | Actions and solutions for communicating the climate crisis and ways of solving it to the public. | documentaries, false balance, campaign, climate-friendly advertising, climate social media, climate journalism, climate communication, climate events, climate facts, climate research, climate portal, climate protection education, climate knowledge, science communication, knowledge transfer |
| Climate-friendly products | Actions and solutions for the use of climate-friendly products with minimal product-related greenhouse gas emissions. | CO2 in product use, save CO2, CO2-efficient products, CO2-friendly products, CO2 lifecycle, CO2-neutral, CO2 saver, emissions in the use phase, energy-efficient products, green products, climate-friendly products, climate-neutral products, lifecycle analysis, product efficiency, product emissions |
| Climate neutral operation | Actions and solutions for the transformation to a climate-neutral company operation. | CO2 compensation, CO2 compensation operation, CO2-neutral production, CO2-neutral operation, insulation of company buildings, compressed air optimization, reduce emissions, energy efficiency, energy efficiency in operation, renewable energies in operation, climate-neutral operation, climate-neutral production, cooling in operation, production with renewable energies, conversion to green electricity |
| Climate resilience | Actions and solutions for the transformation to a climate-resilient economy and society. | Exhaust air flow, structural measures, justification, greening, dams, Green Belt, heat resistance, flood protection, disaster prevention, climate adaptation, coastal protection, microclimate, shading, water storage, resilience |
| Climate risks | Actions and solutions for measuring and managing climate risks. | Carbon bubble, drought, crop failures, extreme weather, groundwater levels, heatwave, climate refugees, climate costs, climate risks, climate damage, climate insurance, natural disasters, flooding, inundation, forest fires |
| Circular solutions | Actions and solutions for the transformation to a circular economy with circular solutions and business models. | Circular economy, circular systems, closed-loop, closed-loop solutions, circular products, circular economy, reusable, reusable solutions, reusable products, rental models, rental products, recycling products, take-back systems, sharing models, pure varieties |
| Climate solutions and consulting | Actions and solutions for the development of and consulting on climate-friendly solutions. | Consulting, CO2 apps, CO2 calculation software, CO2 offsetting, CO2 platform, CO2 calculator, energy consulting, ESG consulting, energy networks, energy-saving products, climate consulting, climate protection consulting, climate protection roadmap, climate protection measures, sustainability consulting |
| Circular design | Actions and solutions for transformation into a product design that is always circular. | Bio-based materials, Biodegradable, Biological cycle, C2C, Circular design, Circular product design, Circular system design, Cradle-to-cradle, Compostable, Circular design, Modular design, Modularity, Product life cycle, Single-variety, Circular materials |
| CO2 removal | Actions and solutions for the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. | Reforestation, Carbon Capture, Carbon Credits, CCS Carbon Capture and Storage, CCU Carbon Capture and Use, CCx, CDM GS, CO2 removal, CO2 compensation, CO2 certificates, decarbonization, GS Gold Standard, compensation, offsetting, PtX Power-to-X |
| CO2 transparency and incentives | Actions and solutions that make the climate impact easily transparent at the moment of decision and provide climate-friendly incentives. | CO2 budget, CO2 hurdle, CO2 per capita, CO2 incentive, CO2 budget, CO2 investment hurdle, CO2 compensation, CO2 label, CO2 market, CO2 price, CO2 tax, CO2 tax, CO2 transparency, CO2 consumption transparency, emissions trading |
| Consumer protection | Actions and solutions for consumer protection and fair, transparent interaction with end customers. | Advice centers, complaint management, fair prices, guarantee, warranty, duty to inform, customer interaction, price transparency, product declaration, product safety, right of return, consumer rights, consumer protection, consumer advice center, right of withdrawal |
| Consumer protection | Actions and solutions for consumer protection and fair, transparent interaction with end customers. | Advice centers, complaint management, fair prices, guarantee, warranty, duty to inform, customer interaction, price transparency, product declaration, product safety, right of return, consumer rights, consumer protection, consumer advice center, right of withdrawal |
| Cooperation | Actions and solutions for fair cooperation at eye level with suppliers and value chain partners. | Purchase security, Protection against price fluctuations, Occupational safety at suppliers, On an equal footing, Fair trade, Fair prices, Global South, Long-term contracts, Supplier training, Supplier cooperation, North-South cooperation, Price security, Solidarity, On-site cooperation, Win-win |
| Data protection | Actions and solutions for the sustainable handling of end customer data. | anonymity, corporate digital responsibility, cybersecurity, data theft, data sovereignty, data protection, data protection officer, data security, GDPR, customer data, personal data, personal data, sensitive data, encryption |
| Digital access | Actions and solutions for the transformation into a digital infrastructure with fast and affordable access for all. | 5G, Expansion of network infrastructure, User-friendliness, Affordable access, Broadband, Connectivity, Digital infrastructure, Digital inclusion, Digital transformation, Digital access, Fiber optic connection, Internet for all, Network coverage, Fast Internet, WLAN access |
| Ecosystems | Actions and solutions for the protection and regeneration of ecosystems. | Biodiversity, pollination services, bees, bee pollination, biodiversity, ecoservices, habitat, air filter, marine ecosystem, microclimate, food chain, national parks, natural space, natural areas, ecosystem |
| Education | Actions and solutions for education for end customers. | degree, employability, training, vocational training, vocational orientation, education, education system, further education, grammar school, college, school, students, study, university, further education |
| Energy efficiency | Actions and solutions for transformation to an energy-efficient economy and society. | motion detector, insulation, efficiency class, energy-efficient, energy-efficient cooling, energy efficiency, energy saving, energy consumption, heating, ISO 50001, insulation, LED, combined heat and power, cooling technology, low-energy building |
| Energy storage | Actions and solutions for building an energy storage infrastructure as core elements of the energy transition. | Car as storage, batteries, battery use, battery technology, chemical storage, decentralized storage, e-car storage, gas storage, capacity, grid feed-in, Power-to-X, Powerwall, pumped storage, salt storage, storage infrastructure |
| Equal opportunity | Actions and solutions for equal opportunities, diversity and inclusion in the company. | Advancement through education, Disability, Disadvantaged groups, Opportunities, Diversity Charter, Discrimination, Diversity, Equal pay, Family friendliness, Women in management positions, Equity, Equality, Inclusion, Participation, Access |
| (Financial) participation | Measures and solutions for the sustainable (financial) participation of stakeholders in transformation measures on the ground. | Share package, shares, shareholders, participation, citizen transparency, citizen participation, citizens' councils, crowd, dividend, cooperative, profit sharing, participation, shared value, stakeholder participation |
| Food waste | Actions and solutions for transforming packaging into unpackaging, reusable and recyclable solutions. | Container, food savers, fat separator, food waste, shelf life, cooking boxes, food sharing, food waste, best before, best before date, food bank, Too Good to Go, overproduction, expiry date, zero food waste |
| Green IT & coding | Actions and solutions for the transformation to climate-neutral IT, e.g. with climate-neutral data centers, energy-saving hardware and energy-saving programmed software and algorithms. | Data center waste heat recovery, algorithms, blockchain, energy-efficient IT, energy-saving laptops, green coding, green hosting, green IT, green data center, climate-neutral IT, data center cooling, server cooling, server virtualization, power-saving IT settings, data center heat recovery |
| Hazardous substances | Actions and solutions for the minimization of hazardous substances and substitution with harmless or useful substances. | Lead, BPA, Chemical safety, Chemicals regulation, Volatile compounds, Hazardous substances, Hazardous goods, Hazardous substances, Toxic substances, Endocrine disruptors, Carcinogenic, Pollutants, Toxins, Toxic, Volatile organic compounds |
| Health | Health promotion actions and solutions for end customers. | Balanced, treatment, exercise, relaxation, nutrition, fitness, health, medicine, healing effect, immune system, illness, medication, rehab, tolerance, wellness |
| Human rights | Actions and solutions to secure human rights in the supply chain. | working conditions, audits, coltan, discrimination, hot spot analysis, ILO core labor standards, child labor, conflict minerals, suppliers, supply chain law, human rights, human rights officer, OECD guidelines, ombudsman, dignity |
| Inclusion | Actions and solutions for barrier-free use and inclusion of diverse user groups. | Barrier-free, anti-discrimination, barrier-free use, disability, equal opportunities, diversity, easy access, empowerment, equal rights, inclusion, integration, products for older people, participation, tolerance, diversity |
| Indigenous people | Actions and solutions to protect the rights of indigenous peoples in the supply chain. | Amazon, ethnic groups, indigenous compensation, indigenous peoples, indigenous land, colonial history, colonial past, rainforest, reserves, protected areas, self-determination, tribes, traditional ways of life, original way of life, displacement |
| Industrial processes | Actions and solutions for transformation into climate-neutral industrial processes. | Adipic acid production, Aluminium emissions, Ammonia production, Workforce, Automation, Direct emissions, Manufacturing technology, Fugitive emissions, Green steel, HFC, Refrigerants, Coolants, Process emissions, Process optimization, Quality assurance |
| Land sealing | Actions and solutions for unsealing and renaturalizing land and minimizing land consumption. | asphalt, heating, building upwards, greening, concrete, biotopes, soil sealing, unsealing, land release, land consumption, green spaces, redensification, renaturation, infiltration, sealing |
| Lifestyles | Actions and solutions for the transformation to a climate-neutral, sustainable lifestyle. | Mindfulness, conscious consumption, degrowth, nutrition, fitness, frugality, quality of life, lifestyle, lifestyle of health and sustainability, LOHAS, using instead of owning, reduction, sufficiency, vegan lifestyle, zero waste lifestyle |
| Materials | Actions and solutions to transform to a circular economy with sustainable, durable, reusable circular materials. | Biobased materials, bioplastics, biomaterials, bioeconomy, circular materials, renewable raw materials, feedstock, wood, circular materials, durable materials, PLA, Re-PET, recyclable materials, recyclate, secondary raw materials |
| Mobility and travel | Commentary of the greenhouse gas emissions in the corporate carbon footprint. | Car, Bahncard, rail travel, bus, car sharing, coworking, company bike, company car, e-fuels, e-mobility, electric vehicles, electromobility, green hotels, home office, charging station |
| Occupational safety and health | Actions and solutions for occupational safety, health and safety in the company. | Occupational health and safety, occupational safety, occupational accidents, lost days, EHS Environmen, health, safety, ergonomics, hazard prevention, protective clothing, SHE safety, health and environmental protection, safety officers, safety measures, safety training, stress prevention, accident prevention, accident prevention |
| Packing | Actions and solutions for transforming packaging into unpackaging, reusable and recyclable solutions. | separable packaging, home filling, cardboard packaging, reusable, refillable packaging, paper packaging, plastic-free, recyclable, recyclable material, return, single-variety, transport boxes, unpackaged, packaging recycling, packaging avoidance |
| Paper and digital | Actions and solutions for transformation to digital processes and sustainable paper use. | Blue Angel paper, digital filing, digital file, digital processes, digital working, printing, FSC mix, FSC paper, sustainable paper, paperless processes, paperless working, paper saving, tablet, recycled paper, environmental colors |
| Plant-based nutrition | Actions and solutions for transformation to a majority plant-based diet. | organic, vegetables, healthy, oats, in-vitro, fruit, oils, plant-based diet, proteins, animal-friendly, tofu, vegan, vegetarian, veggie day, whole grain |
| Pollution to Air | Actions and solutions for clean air and minimization of air pollution. | Exhaust gases, exhaust gas purification, respiratory pollution, Dieselgate, emission measurement, particulate matter, FP10, FP2.5, air filter, air quality, air purification, air pollution, ozone, sulphur, smog |
| Pollution to Soil | Actions and solutions for the regeneration of soils and minimization of pollutant inputs. | Leached soils, soil regeneration, soil protection, soil contamination, fertilizers, fungicides, groundwater protection, herbicides, agricultural overuse, sustainable agriculture, nitrate in groundwater, permaculture, pesticides, plant protection products, overfertilization |
| Pollution to Water | Actions and solutions for clean rivers, oceans and groundwater, and minimization of pollutant inputs and plastics in water. | Waste water, chemicals in rivers, fish mortality, water protection, hormonal substances, sewage treatment plant, marine plastic, microplastics, ocean plastic, plastic soup, plastic waste, drinking water protection, river pollution, ocean pollution, water pollution |
| Professional education | Actions and solutions for further training and qualification of employees in the company. | Academy, training, trainees, employability, education, further education, university cooperation, lifelong learning, learning platform, employee development, online training, qualification, training, further education, knowledge management |
| Regional impact | Actions and solutions for a positive, social impact at the company´s site locations. | Promoting education, Corporate volunteering, Commitment at the location, Commitment to the community, Families, Support. Donations, Home, Helps, Cooperation with schools, Cultural promotion, Local cooperation, Neighborhood, Regional impact, Sports promotion, Sports club |
| Renewable energies | Actions and solutions for the transformation to an energy system based on renewable energies. | Biogas, biomass, renewable energy, geothermal energy, offshore, green gas, green electricity, photovoltaics, smart meter, PPA, PV, smart grid, solar, water, wind |