The sustainability challenge and the role of data & AI
Businesses are facing increasing scrutiny through Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) regulations, which means sustainability efforts are essential for competitiveness and operations. It’s now expected for companies to be able to demonstrate progress on sustainability strategies and targets, rather than simply showing intent.
The great news is that effective use of data and AI can help. By utilising data analysis and automation, you can achieve significant efficiency gains, focus on effective sustainability efforts that are personalised to your industry and requirements, and gain a clear picture of your environmental impact. Continuing developments in AI tools and solutions are helping companies move past general box-ticking and instead genuinely contribute to making a difference on the environment, while still being able to strengthen your bottom line.
ESG regulations and reporting: Why it matters
ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance factors, and focuses on measuring a company’s sustainability practices. The regulatory framework is European-based, and UK organisations only need to comply if a considerable portion of their trade is with Europe. However, using these guidelines may help you meet your own sustainability goals even if you don’t need to report in a regulatory manner.
While regulations and frameworks are relatively immature and vary significantly around the world, the takeaway for companies is clear – robust data management is crucial. If you maintain a strong data foundation and processes, demonstrating your commitment to sustainability will be markedly easier.
Using data for sustainable transformation
Data is key to your decision-making across your business operations, and it’s no different when it comes to sustainability measures. The first step is gathering comprehensive data across your business to find out what it’s telling you about your current state – from supply chain logistics through to energy consumption. But it is through analysis and organisation that this raw data becomes truly useful. Work out when your energy use peaks, optimise your logistics and remove waste, assess the lifecycles of your products – you’ll find countless possibilities and ways to make your sustainability practices… sustainable!
Resources available to help
As the role of sustainability in our organisations and the regulatory frameworks continue to evolve, stay ahead of the curve by exploring resources from organisations like the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). You’ll find the latest reports, workshops and case studies to help you shape your sustainability strategies and to get your data to start working for you. Adapting your data-driven strategies will position your organisation as a leader in sustainable practices and ensure you remain agile to adapt to any changes in what is such a dynamic business area.
A sustainable future of data & AI
Having a data platform and architecture that you can rely on will enable you to move beyond tick boxes and achieve sustainability results with impact. Harnessing the power of your data will help you optimise processes, minimise your environmental impact and demonstrate genuine progress.
As a Microsoft Data & AI Solutions partner, our expertise ensures you’re preparing the right future-proof data strategy now. We can support you with
- Using Microsoft Fabric for sustainability
- Ingesting, transforming and reporting on your sustainability data
- Calculate your ESG footprint
- Analyse your ESG performance against your goals
- Provide Data governance
- Report impact and progress
Contact us here for a full breakdown of how we can support your organisation’s sustainability goals.