Plan A
Overview
Plan A is a Berlin-founded greentech company, launched in 2017, that built its reputation on carbon accounting before expanding into full ESG reporting. Its Corporate Carbon Footprint methodology is TÜV Rheinland-certified and aligned with the GHG Protocol, the first carbon management and ESG platform to earn that certification. This on top of being B Corp and SBTi-certified. The platform also boasts an impressive customer base — BMW, Deutsche Bank, N26, Visa, trivago, Personio, and KFC.
Who it’s for
Plan A suits companies whose starting point is decarbonisation rather than compliance paperwork, organizations that need a scientifically defensible carbon footprint first, and treat ESG reporting (VSME or CSRD) as the next layer built on top of that data. It’s a strong fit for a company already committed to a net-zero roadmap that wants ROI-grade emissions KPIs, not just a disclosure checklist. It fits less well if you’re an SME with no carbon accounting need yet and just want the fastest, cheapest route to a standalone VSME Basic Module report. Plan A’s architecture assumes carbon data as the foundation, so you’re paying for infrastructure a lighter VSME-only tool wouldn’t require.
Key features
- TÜV Rheinland-certified Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) calculation across Scope 1, 2, and 3, positioned as the audit-ready data layer everything else builds on.
- CSRD Manager module that pulls carbon and sustainability data already in the platform directly into ESRS-structured reports, cutting duplicate data entry between carbon accounting and disclosure.
- Decarbonisation planning tools that turn emissions data into hotspot identification, reduction targets, and forecasting — closer to a net-zero management system than a reporting-only tool.
- Tiered offerings (Essential, Pro, Enterprise) with escalating levels of dedicated support, from help-center and webinar access up to a named strategic point of contact.
- Supplier and stakeholder engagement features for multi-entity organizations collecting emissions data across a value chain.
Pricing
Plan A does not publish pricing. Its Essential/Pro/Enterprise tiering shows a scaling-price model based on company size and module selection, but a quote requires going through sales. This is consistent with the enterprise and mid-market customer base it’s built around rather than a self-serve SME price list.
Bottom line
Plan A is not the leanest way to get a VSME Basic Module report out the door, its strength is the certified carbon accounting layer underneath, and the CSRD Manager that lets that data graduate into full ESRS-aligned reporting without starting over. For a company whose sustainability story starts with “what’s our footprint and how do we cut it,” and that expects to grow into mandatory reporting scope, Plan A’s carbon-first architecture is a genuine advantage. For an SME that just needs to answer a customer’s VSME questionnaire once, it’s more infrastructure, and likely more cost, than required.
