ORCA Organization for Rapid Climate Action gGmbH

What ORCA Organization for Rapid Climate Action gGmbH does

ORCA Organization for Rapid Climate Action gGmbH is a German non-profit sustainability consultancy (gemeinnützige GmbH) registered with AG Münster (HRB 19274) and headquartered in Ostbevern with a secondary office in Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia. The firm is led by founder and managing director Dr. Thomas Henningsen and co-managing director Meinolf Köhn, supported by a team of approximately 12 staff including academically trained sustainability consultants (M.Sc./Ph.D. in Sustainability Management, Governance of Sustainability, and Nachhaltige Entwicklung), shareholder-entrepreneurs, and operations support. ORCA serves German Mittelstand companies, municipalities, and public institutions, with select engagements in cultural institutions, MedTech, healthcare, real estate, and digital publishing.

The company's service portfolio is built around recognized international standards — Greenhouse Gas Protocol for corporate and product carbon footprints, CSRD/ESRS and VSME for sustainability reporting, ISO 14040/44 for Life Cycle Assessment, ISO 14067 for Product Carbon Footprint, BISKO for municipal GHG accounting, EMAS for environmental management, and the Science Based Targets methodology. Core offerings include Treibhausgasbilanzierung (Corporate and Product Carbon Footprint), Umwelt- und Klimaschutzkonzepte (climate protection strategies with implementation support), Nachhaltigkeitsberichte (CSRD/ESRS-aligned reporting including Doppelte Wesentlichkeitsanalyse), and an 8-module Individual-Beratung framework covering renewable energy, waste/circular economy, greening, climate resilience, water, energy efficiency, sustainable procurement, and environmental communication. Knowledge-transfer offerings (workshops, executive keynotes by Dr. Henningsen) serve as pipeline and standalone revenue.

ORCA generates revenue through bespoke, quote-based professional services engagements with multi-year contracts; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct and sales-led via website contact forms, phone outreach, industry event participation (CareXFestival, Medica, ERL-Bau-Dialog), and referral networks, with geographic concentration in NRW and Schleswig-Holstein. The non-profit structure commits all surpluses to verified environmental projects (Loki-Schmidt-Stiftung moor protection, Viva con Agua WASH4ALL Uganda, FORWAC Kenya school support, the in-house Artenschutzinitiative placing 1,000 nesting boxes across 10 German cities), which functions as a credibility moat against greenwashing accusations in a skeptical market.

Name

ORCA Organization for Rapid Climate Action gGmbH

Legal name

ORCA Organization for Rapid Climate Action gGmbH

Website

https://orca-climate.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ORCA is a German non-profit sustainability consultancy that delivers GHG accounting, CSRD/ESRS reporting, climate protection strategy, and eight-module ESG advisory to Mittelstand companies, municipalities, and public institutions, primarily in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

akta.pro primary industry

Decarbonization Strategy & Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) Advisory (EUABAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emissions Factors, LCA & Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Platforms (EUABAEAD), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) & Due Diligence (BPAHAJAB), EIA/ESIA Documentation & Technical Studies (Air/Water/Noise/Traffic) (EUAHAAAC)

Keywords

• Sustainability consulting services
• Greenhouse gas accounting
• Climate protection consulting
• CSRD sustainability reporting
• ESG advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ostbevern

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Sustainability Consulting Services: ORCA generates revenue through bespoke consulting engagements for companies, municipalities, and public institutions. Engagements include Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) calculations, Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies, environmental and climate protection concepts, CSRD/ESRS sustainability reporting, stakeholder and materiality analyses, data management system setup, and implementation support. Projects are scoped individually and typically follow a structured advisory process from initial analysis through roadmap, implementation, and reporting. As a non-profit company (gGmbH), any profits are reinvested into environmental and climate protection projects.
2. Workshops & Continuing Education: Interactive workshops on topics such as environmental and climate protection concepts, GHG accounting methodology, stakeholder and materiality analysis, action planning, and CSRD reporting. These serve as both standalone revenue-generating offerings and entry points into broader consulting engagements. Customized formats are tailored to client needs and delivered on-site or virtually.
3. Keynote Speeches & Presentations: Expert presentations by Dr. Thomas Henningsen (CEO) and other team members on topics including climate change, environmental trends, legislation (CSRD, EU Taxonomy), sector-specific challenges and opportunities, and sustainability transformation. Delivered at conferences, corporate events, and public forums as a demand-generation and revenue tool.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ORCA is a non-profit (gemeinnützige) sustainability consultancy that helps German companies, municipalities, and public institutions measure and reduce their environmental footprint. It delivers Corporate and Product Carbon Footprint (CCF/PCF) calculations, Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), CSRD/ESRS-aligned sustainability reporting, and tailored environmental and climate protection concepts. Its work is grounded in established standards such as the GHG Protocol, ISO 14040/44, ISO 14067, VSME, and Science Based Targets, and is supplemented by workshops, keynote presentations, and eight specialized advisory modules.

Product overview

ORCA is a non-profit sustainability consulting firm (gemeinnützige Nachhaltigkeitsberatung) that operates as a single-service practice centered on ESG and climate advisory. Its core offerings are Treibhausgasbilanz (Corporate and Product Carbon Footprint), Umwelt- und Klimaschutzkonzept, and Nachhaltigkeitsberichte (CSRD/ESRS), supplemented by eight individual consulting modules covering renewable energy, waste management, greening, climate resilience, water management, energy efficiency, sustainable procurement, and environmental communication. Additional services include Workshops & Weiterbildung and Vorträge for knowledge transfer. LCA (Ökobilanz) is offered as a distinct sub-product. The portfolio covers the full lifecycle from carbon accounting and environmental strategy development to sustainability reporting and implementation support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Treibhausgasbilanz (Corporate Carbon Footprint)

Quantifiable outcome

• Flensburger Brauerei achieved ~50,000 tonnes CO₂e (2022 baseline) and has been implementing reduction measures including E-forklifts and renewable energy transitions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Loki-Schmidt-StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORCA supports the Loki-Schmidt-Stiftung's moorland protection project in the Kuhstedter Moor (Landkreis Rotenburg/Wümme, Schleswig-Holstein) with a donation of €2,500. The partnership focuses on renaturation of drained peatland to restore it as a carbon sink and habitat for specialized species (e.g., sundew, cross adder, cuckoo flower). The collaboration represents ORCA's commitment to climate protection through ecosystem restoration.
• Viva con AguacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORCA supports Viva con Agua's WASH4ALL project in Yumbe, West Nile, Uganda with a donation of €2,500. The project provides clean drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure for schools and communities, including refugees from South Sudan. The partnership connects climate adaptation with water access and resilience, demonstrating how climate protection advisory and development cooperation work together. The project aims to reach 7,500 people in 2025 with a total volume of ~€200,000.
• FORWAC e.V. (Friends of Rural Women and Children)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORCA supports FORWAC e.V.'s school project in Ulamba, Siaya County, West Kenya. The Hamburg-based association runs a pre- and primary school for orphans and disadvantaged children, providing education and daily meals (breakfast and lunch) to ~200 children. ORCA's financial support (exact amount to be determined) helps secure long-term school operations. The partnership connects social justice and climate protection by investing in education and food security as forms of climate resilience.
• MoorFutures (Ausgleichsagentur Schleswig-Holstein / Stiftung Naturschutz Schleswig-Holstein)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORCA purchased MoorFutures certificates for 12 tonnes of CO₂ to support the renaturation of the Grotmoor near Bad Bramstedt (Kreis Segeberg, Schleswig-Holstein). The 96-hectare raised bog was drained in the 20th century; the project involves 9,500 meters of peat dams and removal of 65 km of drainage channels, expected to save over 43,000 tonnes CO₂e over 50 years. This represents ORCA's own operational carbon offsetting and supports moorland conservation as a high-impact climate measure.
• JVA Kiel (Justizvollzugsanstalt Kiel)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerORCA sources its 1,000 handmade nesting boxes and protective shelters (for birds, bats, insects, hedgehogs) from the JVA Kiel, where the boxes are crafted by inmates in a wood workshop as part of their vocational rehabilitation. This partnership combines biodiversity conservation with social rehabilitation outcomes.
• CirQualityOWL / ZIG – Zentrum für Innovation in der Gesundheitswirtschaft OWLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerORCA participated as a speaker in the CirQualityOWL project workshop on 'Wesentlichkeitsanalyse und zirkuläre Wertschöpfung in Kliniken' (materiality analysis and circular value creation in clinics) organized by ZIG – Zentrum für Innovation in der Gesundheitswirtschaft OWL in Bad Oeynhausen. This positions ORCA in the healthcare sustainability network in the OWL region of NRW.
• Evonik (Industriepark Wolfgang)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerORCA visited Evonik's plant in Hanau (Industriepark Wolfgang) on August 4, 2025, to see a prototype plant that chemically recycles polyurethane foam from mattresses via hydrolysis, recovering polyols and TDA. This site visit supports ORCA's advisory work on circular economy and material cycles for clients.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• ClimatePartner: Munich-headquartered climate action company offering carbon accounting, reduction strategy, and offsetting. Comparable on CCF/PCF but with a much larger software platform and offsetting marketplace.

Direct peers

• GUTcert (AFNOR Group): Berlin-based certification and sustainability services firm (part of AFNOR) offering ISO 14001/EMAS certification, GHG accounting, and CSRD support. Comparable in ESG consulting plus certification depth.
• FutureCamp Consulting GmbH: Munich-based sustainability and climate strategy consultancy serving German Mittelstand and large enterprises with GHG accounting, CSRD, and climate strategy. Closely comparable in size, geography, and service scope.
• Arqum GmbH: German consultancy specializing in EHS management, sustainability strategy, and CSRD reporting for industrial and Mittelstand clients. Comparable in service mix and target customer profile.
• B.A.U.M. Consult GmbH: German sustainability and energy consultancy supporting municipalities, companies, and public institutions. Highly comparable on the German public-sector and Mittelstand customer segments.
• ifu Hamburg GmbH: Hamburg-based environmental consultancy with strong LCA and PCF practice (developer of GaBi / openLCA). Directly comparable on product carbon footprint and life cycle assessment work.
• maconda GmbH: Munich-based sustainability consultancy focused on strategy, reporting (CSRD/GRI), and transformation for mid-sized and large German companies. Overlapping service portfolio and Mittelstand orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte Sustainability & Climate: Global Big 4 sustainability practice offering CSRD reporting, climate strategy, and assurance. Competes for the same German enterprise and Mittelstand engagements but at vastly greater scale.
• Schneider Electric Sustainability Business: Global energy management and sustainability advisory practice within Schneider Electric. Provides overlapping CSRD/ESG advisory and decarbonization consulting, but as part of a much broader industrial software and hardware portfolio.
• EcoAct (part of Accenture): European climate consultancy (now part of Accenture) providing carbon strategy, reporting, and net-zero advisory. Comparable service scope, larger scale, and global reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orca-organization-for-rapid-climate-action-ggmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ORCA Organization for Rapid Climate Action gGmbH