Frequently Asked Questions

Burag Gurden is a Berlin-based sustainability and strategy consultant with a PhD in Energy Transition and more than 8 years of consulting experience. He advises C-suite executives at Fortune 500 automotive, mining and energy companies on ESG integration, carbon strategy, supply chain due diligence and regulatory compliance. His career spans McKinsey & Company, SLR Consulting and independent advisory work across 15+ countries. Read the full background on the profile page.

I hold a PhD in Human Geography (Energy Transition) from Durham University, an M.Sc. in International Development & Management from Lund University, and a B.A. in Economics (Honours) from Bogazici University. I began my consulting career at McKinsey & Company in Stockholm and spent 2.5 years as Project Manager for Supply Chain and ESG Consulting at SLR Consulting in Berlin.

I specialize in automotive, mining and metals, energy, and battery manufacturing, with additional experience in international development. My client portfolio includes BMW Group, Volkswagen, BHP, CATL, Novelis, Volvo Group and Siemens Energy, alongside international organisations such as UNDP, UNEP and IRENA. These are the industries facing the heaviest sustainability regulation, which is where specialist expertise creates the most value. See the full client portfolio.

You work directly with the Expert, not a junior team billed at partner rates. I combine McKinsey-honed strategic rigour with hands-on regulatory and field experience: I have personally run supplier audits, smelter assessments and board presentations. Engagements are leaner, faster and typically 40–60% more cost-effective than big-firm equivalents, without sacrificing the analytical depth that boards and auditors expect.

I work in English, German, Armenian and Turkish. Deliverables, workshops and board presentations can be produced in English or German; this website is available in English, German and Turkish.

I am based in Berlin, Germany, and work remotely with clients across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. I have delivered projects in more than 15 countries and work across jurisdictions including the EU, UK, GCC and Turkey. On-site presence (supplier audits, workshops, board meetings) is arranged wherever the work requires it.

Green Blue Orange Consulting is the independent consulting practice of Burag Gurden, PhD, offering sustainability and strategy advisory services to corporate clients and international organisations. The practice operates from Berlin as an independent freelance consultancy (Freiberufler) under German law and serves clients worldwide.

I offer twenty core services across four areas: Strategy & Governance (ESG strategy, risk assessment, materiality, double materiality, CSRD/ISSB reporting, EU Taxonomy), Climate & Carbon (GHG accounting, Scope 1-2-3, science-based targets, net-zero roadmaps, TCFD, CBAM), Supply Chain (due diligence, responsible sourcing, CSDDD/LkSG compliance, conflict minerals, battery metals), and Circularity & Social Impact (circular economy, LCA, social impact assessment, stakeholder engagement). Explore all twenty on the expertise page.

ESG strategy consulting embeds environmental, social and governance factors into core business decision-making rather than treating sustainability as a siloed reporting function. It includes materiality assessment, ESG target-setting, integration of ESG metrics into corporate KPIs and executive incentives, capital allocation screening, and governance design. Done well, it lowers cost of capital, strengthens stakeholder trust and future-proofs operations.

Supply chain due diligence is a structured, ongoing process to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for adverse human rights and environmental impacts across your value chain, from Tier-1 suppliers to raw material extraction. It is now legally mandated by the EU CSDDD and the German LkSG. I have built due diligence management systems covering 8 raw material categories for global automotive OEMs and battery manufacturers.

I provide GHG Protocol-aligned carbon accounting across Scope 1, 2 and 3, science-based target (SBTi) development and validation support, net-zero roadmaps with abatement cost curves, TCFD-aligned climate risk assessment, and CBAM compliance including gap assessments, MRV infrastructure and verification readiness.

Yes. Circular economy services include circular business model design, LCA integration, recycled content compliance under the EU Battery Regulation, scrap rate reduction and reverse logistics. Social impact services include social impact assessment, human rights due diligence, community development evaluation and stakeholder engagement across 10+ countries.

Yes, both. Typical one-off projects include gap assessments, mock audits, materiality assessments and regulatory readiness reviews, usually 4–12 weeks. Long-term formats include advisory retainers for ongoing regulatory and strategic support, and multi-phase transformation programmes. Every engagement starts with a clearly scoped statement of work, so you always know what you are buying.

Companies need sustainability consultants because ESG has moved from voluntary reporting to binding law with severe penalties, while investors and customers increasingly price sustainability performance into every decision. A specialist consultant brings current regulatory interpretation, proven methodologies and benchmark data that internal teams rarely have time to build, converting compliance pressure into competitive advantage: lower financing costs, preferred supplier status and resilient supply chains.

The best time is 12–24 months before a regulatory deadline or strategic milestone, because data collection, supplier engagement and system building take time. Common triggers: your company crosses a CSRD or LkSG size threshold, EU customers request emissions data or due diligence evidence, you plan green financing, you face a CBAM obligation, or an investor raises ESG concerns. If any of these already apply, the right time is now.

Non-compliance carries escalating consequences: fines (LkSG penalties reach 2% of global annual turnover for large companies; CSRD penalties are set by member states), exclusion from EU markets and procurement shortlists, CBAM costs of €80–120 per tonne of unverified emissions, civil liability under CSDDD, loss of green financing eligibility, and reputational damage that erodes customer and investor trust. Early compliance is consistently cheaper than remediation.

Sustainability consulting creates measurable financial value through avoided penalties, reduced carbon costs, cheaper capital and operational efficiency. Well-executed programmes unlock preferential green financing, reduce carbon border costs through verified data, secure preferred supplier status with major customers, and identify efficiency gains that pay for the engagement several times over. Explore quantified examples in the case studies.

Internal teams provide continuity; external specialists add pattern recognition from dozens of comparable projects, up-to-date regulatory interpretation and the independence that auditors, banks and boards trust. Most of my engagements are partnerships with internal teams: I bring methodology, benchmarks and regulatory depth, your team retains the knowledge afterwards. Capability transfer and team training are built into most of my projects.

Key warning signs: customers requesting emissions or due diligence data you cannot produce, reliance on default values instead of verified primary data, ESG data living in spreadsheets without audit trails, no double materiality assessment despite CSRD applicability, supplier information stopping at Tier-1, sustainability targets without costed implementation plans, and ESG sitting outside board-level governance. Two or more of these usually indicate material compliance and commercial risk.

The main EU sustainability regulations are: CSRD (sustainability reporting, ~50,000 companies), CSDDD (supply chain due diligence), CBAM (carbon border tariff on imports), the EU Taxonomy (classification of sustainable activities for finance), the EU Battery Regulation (carbon footprint, recycled content, due diligence), the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), and the Conflict Minerals Regulation. Germany adds the LkSG supply chain act. Most industrial companies are affected by several simultaneously.

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is the EU law requiring detailed, audited sustainability reporting under the ESRS standards, built on double materiality. It applies in phases to large EU companies, listed SMEs, and non-EU companies with significant EU turnover, ultimately covering 50,000+ companies. If your company meets two of three thresholds (250+ employees, €50M+ turnover, €25M+ balance sheet) or has substantial EU business, CSRD likely applies.

CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, EU Regulation 2023/956) is the EU's carbon tariff on imported goods, currently covering aluminium, steel, iron, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity. Importers must report embedded emissions and, in the definitive phase, purchase CBAM certificates. Any company importing covered goods into the EU, or supplying EU customers with them, is affected. I have delivered CBAM gap assessments, mock verification audits and MRV infrastructure for Novelis, BHP and BMW Group.

The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) obliges large EU companies, and non-EU companies with significant EU turnover, to identify, prevent and remediate human rights and environmental harms across their global value chains. It requires risk analysis, preventive measures, complaint mechanisms and public reporting, with civil liability and fines for non-compliance. Application begins in 2027. Early movers gain supply chain resilience and preferred supplier status.

The Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz (LkSG) is Germany's supply chain due diligence law, in force since 2023 for companies with 1,000+ employees in Germany. It mandates human rights and environmental risk analysis, preventive and remedial measures, a complaints procedure and annual reporting to BAFA, with fines up to 2% of global turnover. I have managed LkSG compliance programmes for German automotive OEMs and their international suppliers.

The EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542) sets sustainability requirements for batteries sold in the EU: carbon footprint declarations, minimum recycled content for lithium, cobalt, nickel and lead, supply chain due diligence, a digital battery passport and end-of-life obligations. It affects battery manufacturers, EV makers and their upstream suppliers. I supported CATL's regulatory readiness across 8 material categories under this regulation.

The EU Taxonomy is the classification system defining which economic activities count as environmentally sustainable, based on Technical Screening Criteria. It matters financially because taxonomy alignment determines access to green bonds, sustainability-linked loans and ESG-labelled investment. I screened manufacturing activities against the Taxonomy for CATL and helped unlock €200M+ in preferential green lending for a Hungarian gigafactory expansion.

Conflict minerals regulations, chiefly the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation and the US Dodd-Frank Act Section 1502, require companies to ensure that tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold (3TG) are not sourced from conflict-affected areas where mining finances armed groups. Compliance requires supply chain traceability, smelter verification against RMI standards and transparent reporting. I rely on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for developing the foundations of responsible sourcing practice at companies.

Yes, in many cases. CSRD applies to non-EU companies with over €450M EU turnover; CSDDD covers non-EU companies with significant EU revenue; CBAM affects every exporter of covered goods to the EU through their importers; the Battery Regulation applies to all batteries placed on the EU market regardless of origin. Practically, EU customers also push these requirements upstream to their global suppliers via contracts and procurement criteria.

I work with the GHG Protocol, Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), TCFD, GRI, SASB, CDP, ISSB/IFRS S1-S2, ESRS, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, OECD Due Diligence Guidance, IFC Performance Standards, ISO 14064, and sector frameworks including the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) and IRMA. Framework selection depends on your audience: regulators, investors, customers or communities.

The GHG Protocol is the global standard for corporate greenhouse gas accounting. Scope 1 covers direct emissions from owned operations; Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from purchased energy; Scope 3 covers all other value chain emissions, typically 70–90% of an industrial company's footprint. Credible climate strategy, CSRD reporting, SBTi validation and CBAM compliance all require accounting across all three scopes.

Science-based targets are emission reduction goals aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, independently validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. Validation distinguishes genuine climate ambition from greenwashing and is increasingly required in procurement processes and investor mandates. I develop SBTi-aligned net-zero roadmaps with abatement cost curves and supported BMW Group's Scope 3 decarbonisation commitments through supplier engagement frameworks.

Double materiality is the assessment principle at the heart of CSRD: companies must evaluate both how sustainability issues affect their financial performance (financial materiality) and how their activities impact people and the environment (impact materiality). It determines which ESRS topics you must report on. I conducted double materiality and ESRS alignment assessments for CATL's German and Hungarian subsidiaries.

Each framework serves a different audience: GRI addresses broad stakeholder impacts; SASB focuses on financially material, industry-specific metrics for investors; CDP is a disclosure platform for climate, water and forests; TCFD structures climate risk disclosure (governance, strategy, risk management, metrics); ISSB consolidates SASB and TCFD into global baseline standards (IFRS S1/S2). Most companies map one internal dataset to several frameworks, which I design to minimise reporting burden.

A typical project runs in five phases: (1) scoping call and written statement of work; (2) diagnostic: data review, gap analysis, stakeholder interviews; (3) analysis and strategy development with interim check-ins; (4) delivery: final report, board presentation, implementation roadmap; (5) optional implementation support or retainer. You receive a clear milestone plan with deliverables and dates before work begins.

Discrete assessments (CBAM gap assessment, materiality assessment, mock audit) typically take 4–12 weeks. Compliance programmes such as CSRD readiness or due diligence system builds run 3–9 months. Transformation programmes and retainers run 12 months or longer. As a reference, BHP remediated all findings from my mock verification audit within 10 weeks and passed formal third-party verification on the first attempt.

Both, in whatever mix the work requires. I am based in Berlin and work remotely with weekly video check-ins as the default rhythm, with on-site presence at key milestones: kick-offs, supplier audits, workshops and board presentations. For German clients, in-person sessions can be arranged at short notice; for international engagements, site visits are planned in efficient blocks.

I run engagements with agile project management: work broken into sprints with defined deliverables, a weekly status rhythm, a shared milestone tracker and early escalation of risks. You always know what is being worked on, what comes next and where the project stands against budget. Interim outputs are shared early so course corrections happen in week two, not in the final presentation.

Accountability is built in through a written statement of work with defined deliverables, acceptance criteria and milestones; every deliverable is reviewed against them before handover. I carry professional indemnity insurance, my methodologies have been validated by third-party auditors, and my results are measurable: first-pass verification success, closed compliance gaps, quantified savings. If something misses the mark, I fix it; that is what the SOW is for.

You work directly with me. I personally deliver the analysis, strategy and client-facing work: no leverage model, no junior staff learning on your budget. For very large programmes I can assemble trusted specialist partners (for example, for laboratory testing or local-language auditing), always disclosed and agreed in advance in the statement of work.

All client information is treated as strictly confidential under professional confidentiality obligations, and I sign NDAs whenever required. Data handling complies with GDPR; sensitive documents are exchanged through the client's preferred secure channels. Case study figures published on this website are used with permission and rounded or anonymised where required. Details in the FAQ privacy policy.

Three models, matched to the work: day rates for advisory and flexible support, fixed fees for clearly scoped projects such as gap assessments and audits, and monthly retainers for ongoing regulatory and strategic support. Every proposal states deliverables, timeline and price before work begins, so there are no surprises. Invoicing is monthly in arrears with 14-day payment terms.

Nothing. The first step is a free, no-commitment 30-minute discovery call to discuss your situation, scope and timeline. If the fit is right, you receive a tailored written proposal within 5 business days.

Invoices are issued monthly in arrears with payment due within 14 days. Either party may terminate an engagement with 14 days' written notice, with completed work billed pro rata. All terms are set out in the statement of work agreed before the project starts. See also the terms of use.

Yes. I operate under professional confidentiality obligations by default and sign non-disclosure agreements whenever clients require them, typically before any sensitive information is exchanged.

My clients include BMW Group, Volkswagen, BHP, CATL, Novelis, Volvo Group, Siemens Energy, Mitsubishi and CMOC in the corporate sector, and UNDP, UNEP, IRENA, CGIAR and Malteser International among international organisations. I have advised more than 12 Fortune 500 companies across 15+ countries. See the full client portfolio.

Representative outcomes: €18M estimated annual CBAM liability reduction for Novelis; 340+ CN codes mapped and 14 compliance gaps closed; BHP passing formal third-party verification on the first attempt after a 10-week remediation; 23% carbon intensity reduction for BMW aluminium components with verified data coverage raised from 12% to 71% and €45M+ in avoided costs; €200M+ in preferential green financing unlocked for CATL's gigafactory expansion. Full details in the case studies.

Yes. Four detailed case studies are published on this website with quantified outcomes: Novelis (CBAM compliance), BHP (mock verification audit), BMW Group (decarbonisation implementation) and CATL (regulatory readiness). Client references for specific service areas are available on request during the proposal stage, subject to client confidentiality agreements.

Both. While my flagship engagements are with Fortune 500 companies, SMEs increasingly need the same capabilities: mid-sized suppliers face LkSG and CSDDD requirements passed down by their large customers, CBAM reporting duties and CSRD data requests. For SMEs I offer right-sized engagements: focused gap assessments and pragmatic compliance roadmaps rather than enterprise-scale programmes.

Yes. The methodologies (carbon accounting, due diligence systems, materiality assessment, regulatory gap analysis) transfer across sectors, and I have delivered projects in agriculture, humanitarian supply chains and infrastructure through clients such as CGIAR and Malteser International. My deepest benchmark data, however, sits in automotive, mining, metals, energy and battery manufacturing.

Compliance-focused services: CSRD readiness including double materiality and ESRS alignment; CBAM gap assessments, MRV infrastructure and verification preparation; CSDDD and LkSG due diligence management systems; EU Battery Regulation readiness; EU Taxonomy screening; conflict minerals compliance; and sustainability reporting under GRI, SASB and CDP. Each includes a prioritised action plan mapped to regulatory deadlines.

Risk-focused services: ESG risk assessment across operations and value chains, climate risk assessment aligned with TCFD (physical and transition risks), supply chain risk mapping across 8 raw material categories, human rights due diligence, scenario analysis, and mock audits that stress-test your systems before regulators or verifiers do. Outputs are actionable risk registers that boards and risk committees can act upon.

Supply chain services: due diligence management system design, responsible sourcing frameworks aligned with RMI, IRMA and IFC standards, supplier engagement programmes (I built a tiered framework collecting verified primary emissions data from 180+ upstream suppliers), traceability systems from mine to module, Tier-2 audit programmes, procurement contract redesign for carbon cost predictability, and green tariff / PPA feasibility for energy-intensive suppliers.

Book a free 30-minute discovery call directly through the booking calendar, or send a message via the contact form. We discuss your situation, and if the fit is right you receive a tailored written proposal with deliverables, timeline and pricing within 5 business days. Most engagements can start within 2–4 weeks of proposal acceptance.

Helpful but not required: your company's size and EU footprint (for regulatory applicability), any regulatory letters or customer data requests you have received, existing sustainability reports or carbon inventories, your main supply chain categories, and the decision timeline. If you have none of this, that is fine. Clarifying where to start is exactly what the call is for.