Best Practices: ESG & Sustainability Digital Strategies For Energy, Manufacturing And Resources

Lily Turnbull

Lily Turnbull

Guy Lewis

Guy Lewis

Kim Knickle

Kim Knickle

17 May, 2024

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Executive Summary

To support the operationalization of ESG and sustainability strategies, energy, manufacturing and resources firms are adopting myriad solutions. Drawing on sector-specific interviews with senior practitioners in IT and sustainability, this report highlights emerging best practices for addressing sustainability challenges and developing ESG digital strategies. Senior sustainability and IT professionals, in cooperation with other stakeholders that form part of their digital sustainability strategy teams, should use this report to garner best practices and apply them to their own organization and strategy. 
The energy, manufacturing and resources sectors power and produce sustainable futures
An overview of the energy, manufacturing and resources sectors
The energy, manufacturing and resources sectors face pressure from all sides to enhance sustainability performance
Data challenges and organizational complexities hinder sustainability performance improvements
Best practices for developing a digital strategy for ESG and sustainability
Appropriate internal organizational structures are crucial for success
Setting out the necessary processes supports implementation and utilization
Building a digital strategy maximizes the value of ESG software investment
Digital solutions integrate sustainability into key business activities
Figure 1. Industry mapping to NAICS sectors and sub-sectors
Figure 2a. Energy sector sustainability outlook
Figure 2b. Manufacturing sector sustainability outlook
Figure 2c. Resources sector sustainability outlook
Figure 3. Impact of corporate decarbonization targets on the digital transformation of plant operations
Figure 4. Top challenges to sustainability performance improvements in energy, manufacturing and resources 
Figure 5. Representative material sustainability issues for firms in energy, manufacturing and resources 
Figure 6. Examples of industry collaboration to improve sustainability performance
Figure 7. Best practices for digital sustainability strategies in energy, manufacturing and resources

About the Authors

Lily Turnbull

Lily Turnbull

Senior Analyst

Lily is a Senior Analyst at Verdantix, where she delivers in-depth research to help executives navigate ESG, sustainability and product innovation, and make confident decision...

Guy Lewis

Guy Lewis

Industry Analyst

Guy is an Industry Analyst in the Verdantix ESG & Sustainability practice. He currently leads research on circular economy software and services and supports research acro...

Kim Knickle

Kim Knickle

Research Director

Kim Knickle is a Research Director at Verdantix, bringing more than two decades of analyst experience to the evolving world of sustainability. Her current research spans ESG a...

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