Smart Innovators: Corporate ESG & Sustainability Software

Report
ESG & Sustainability Reporting Software
Yaowen Ma

Yaowen Ma

David Metcalfe
David Metcalfe
20 Apr, 2021

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Executive Summary

Over the past few years, investor interest in ESG metrics and financially material sustainability information has dramatically shifted the landscape for business disclosures, risk and performance management. This report provides buyers of software for environment, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability management with a high-level benchmark of the capabilities of 44 software solutions. The rise of ESG investment and lending trends has established new business requirements for corporate ESG and sustainability data management, analytics and workflows. Verdantix analysis finds that seven vendor categories form the building blocks of an ESG information architecture. Superior data access and visibility drive digital technology innovations across four categories: 1) real-time risk analytics, 2) operational ESG programme management, 3) product stewardship, and 4) disclosures and reporting management. Heads of ESG and Sustainability should use this report to inform their future technology adoption roadmaps in 2021 and beyond. 

ESG And Sustainability Data Management Ushers In New Phase Of Growth  
In 2019 Financial Markets Exhibited A Growing Appetite For More And Better ESG Data
During 2020 Financial Market Participants Accelerated Their Push For ESG Disclosures
From 2021 Onwards Firms Will Need To Enhance Their ESG Governance And IT Systems

A New Era For The ESG And Sustainability Software Market  
New Corporate ESG Business Requirements Map To Four Software Capabilities
A Diverse Ecosystem Of Vendors Form The Building Blocks For An Enterprise ESG IT Architecture
Superior Data Access And Visibility Drive Technology Innovations In The ESG And Sustainability Market

Figure 1. Asset Owners Desire ESG Integration For Financial Risk And Opportunity Benefits 
Figure 2. Understanding Green, Social, Sustainability, And Sustainability-Linked Bonds 
Figure 3. ESG & Sustainability Software Capabilities & Definitions 
Figure 4. Seven Categories Of Vendor Backgrounds In ESG Software 
Figure 5. ESG & Sustainability Software Capabilities Assessment (Aggregate) 
Figure 6. ESG & Sustainability Software Capabilities Assessment (Vendors With <100 Employees) 
Figure 7. ESG & Sustainability Software Capabilities Assessment (Vendors With >100 Employees) 
CSRware, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Urjanet, AB InBev, Accenture, AccountAbility (AA), Accuvio, Adidas, AkzoNobel, Alcumus, alva, Amazon, APlanet, ARCADIS Gen, ArcelorMittal, ArcGIS, Ashcroft, ASM, Assent Compliance, Avetta, Benchmark Digital, Bill Identity, Bloomberg, BloombergNEF (BNEF), Bremer Energy Consulting Services, CDP, Central Arizona Project, CFA Institute, Chevron, ClearTrace, Cognite, Colgate-Palmolive, Cority, Cox Enterprises, CVC Growth Partners, Datamaran, Deutsche Börse, Diginex Solutions, Diligent Corporation, DNV , Dollarama, Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), Ecocion, Ecodesk, Ecometrica, EcoVadis, Enablon, Enel, Energy Star, EnHelix Environmental Defense Fund, Envizi, EQT, EU, EY, FigBytes, Fitch, FTSE4Good, GE Digital, Gensuite, GHGSat, Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), GMI Ratings, Goby, Goodera, Greenstone, Guardhat, Intelex, International Capital Market Association (ICMA), International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS), iPoint, IsoMetrix, ISS, JPMorgan Chase, Librestream, Lloyds Banking Group, Measurabl, Metrio, Microsoft, Moody's, Morgan Stanley Institute For Sustainable Investing, Morningstar, MSCI, Nasdaq OneReport, National Grid, NAVEX Global, Neuberger Berman, Novisto, NYSE, Oekom, Parley For The Oceans, Persefoni, PG&E, PIMCO, Plexus, Power Corporation of Canada, ProcessMAP, Project Canary, Quentic, Refinitiv, Rio ESG, S&P Global, Salesforce, Santander, Schneider Electric, Scope 5, Scottish Widows, Shell, Siemens, SINAI Technologies, Source Intelligence, Sphera, State Street Global Advisors, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), Temasek, Teva Pharmaceuticals, thinkstep, UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), UL, UN, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), US SIF, Vale, VelocityEHS, Workiva, XBRL International, Y Combinator

About the Authors

Yaowen Ma

Yaowen Ma

Principal Analyst

Yaowen is a Principal Analyst at Verdantix conducting research on EHS and ESG information management. His current agenda focuses on digital technologies, best practices and gr…

David Metcalfe

David Metcalfe

CEO and Co-Founder

David is the CEO and co-founder of Verdantix, where he leads the firm’s strategic direction and client engagement. Since co-founding the firm in 2008, David has built a …

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