{"id":133062,"date":"2021-02-15T14:47:56","date_gmt":"2021-02-15T14:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/uk\/?p=133062"},"modified":"2023-09-27T15:21:56","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T14:21:56","slug":"transforming-esg-reporting-for-utilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.sap.com\/uk\/2021\/02\/transforming-esg-reporting-for-utilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Transforming ESG Reporting For Utilities"},"content":{"rendered":"
Utilities\u00a0<\/span>businesses around<\/span>\u00a0the world are\u00a0<\/span>facing<\/span>\u00a0unprecedented pressures that\u00a0<\/span>are\u00a0<\/span>forcing\u00a0<\/span>conventional business\u00a0<\/span>approaches\u00a0<\/span>to evolve.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As concerns around climate change and water scarcity continue to grow,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>s<\/span>ustainability<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>across a wide range of dimensions is<\/span>\u00a0being brought to the forefront of the way\u00a0<\/span>utilities<\/span>\u00a0operate.<\/span>\u00a0Many of these dimensions are captured in the\u00a0<\/span>measures of environmental, social and governance (ESG)<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0which collectively establish a<\/span>\u00a0\u201csustainability\u201d<\/span>\u00a0framework for assessing a company\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>performance<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in everything<\/span>\u00a0from greenhouse gas emissions to employee health and safety.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ESG reporting is transforming from being a<\/span>\u00a0\u2018nice-to-have\u2019 to a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>fundamental business<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>need. Utilities are\u00a0<\/span>doubling-down<\/span>\u00a0on efforts to establish a comprehensive reporting methodology that\u00a0<\/span>takes into account<\/span>\u00a0the expectations of\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>number of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>stakeholders<\/span>, including financial investors, regulators<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0customers and\u00a0<\/span>employees.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Meeting the ESG reporting<\/span><\/b>\u00a0and performance management<\/span><\/b>\u00a0challenge<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The\u00a0<\/span>increased focus on<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>sustainability performance \u2013 as represented by ESG<\/span>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/span>and the\u00a0<\/span>associated\u00a0<\/span>demand for high quality data, has grown faster than companies<\/span>\u2019 ability<\/span>\u00a0to provide\u00a0<\/span>it in a robust, automated, auditable way<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Now, as customers, investors and regulators seek more transparency<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0current ESG reporting capabilities need to be assessed\u00a0<\/span>against their capability to deliver<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>evolved<\/span>\u00a0requirements.<\/span>\u00a0For the most part, they fall short.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Reporting of operational performance, including ESG, tends to be reliant on<\/span>\u00a0manual processes\u00a0<\/span>and, as a result, reported<\/span>\u00a0data\u00a0<\/span>is often<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>incomplete and not\u00a0<\/span>standardi<\/span>s<\/span>ed<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0ESG performance, or the impact on ESG performance, can\u2019t be integrated into investment decisions as it is not linked to financial data.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>This makes it challenging for the Board to steer the business as ESG data is not generally as available or trusted as financial data for investment decisions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The lack of solutions that enable real time<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>insight into ESG<\/span>\u00a0performance<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>has in the past prevented utilities from experiencing the full benefits of better\u00a0<\/span>sustainability\u00a0<\/span>reporting<\/span>\u00a0and performance management<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>But n<\/span>ow<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0with ESG becoming a boardroom issue, practical steps are being taken to update how sustainability reporting is carried out<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0based on an enterprise-grade platform which provides trusted data to stakeholders inside and outside\u00a0<\/span>businesses<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Benefits of improved ESG reporting<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If utilities can<\/span>\u00a0transform how they report on ESG issues, the benefits they receive\u00a0<\/span>will\u00a0<\/span>extend to diverse areas of their operations. For example, credit\u202frating agency\u00a0<\/span>S&P Global Ratings<\/span><\/a>\u00a0has found that ESG considerations are now a factor that lenders take into consideration when offering loan pricing.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Linking loans and other forms of finance to\u00a0<\/span>corporate sustainability performance<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span>and carbon emissions in particular<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0one recent innovation<\/span>\u00a0\u2013<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>but<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>it will not be the last method investors use that requires advanced ESG data.<\/span>\u00a0This means that utilities<\/span>\u00a0need to ensure the platforms they use for ESG reporting\u00a0are able to\u00a0support\u00a0<\/span>a robust due diligence process that finance providers will undertake when testing achievement\u00a0<\/span>against\u00a0<\/span>contracted\u00a0<\/span>ESG targets.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond this,\u00a0<\/span>ESG performance<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>will<\/span>\u00a0also provide competitive advantages and unlock value creation<\/span>. F<\/span>or example, through zero carbon\u00a0<\/span>energy\u00a0<\/span>or water\u00a0<\/span>provision,<\/span>\u00a0increased customer loyalty and differentiated pricing<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These kinds of\u00a0<\/span>developments<\/span>\u00a0are part of the future for\u00a0<\/span>the entire utilities industry. And\u00a0<\/span>they\u00a0<\/span>make new\u00a0<\/span>ESG\u00a0<\/span>technology decisions paramount for businesses that are serious about investment and prosperity, as well as sustainability.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Corporate Sustainability Reporting and Performance Management by 麻豆原创, allows you to understand and manage your environmental impact and report against a range of different ESG standards. To find out more about this, and how 麻豆原创<\/em>\u2019s capability can help, read our new <\/em>white paper<\/em><\/a> or check out our <\/em>new eBook<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Utilities\u00a0businesses around\u00a0the world are\u00a0facing\u00a0unprecedented pressures that\u00a0are\u00a0forcing\u00a0conventional business\u00a0approaches\u00a0to evolve.\u00a0\u00a0 As concerns around climate change and water scarcity continue to grow,\u00a0sustainability\u00a0across a wide range of dimensions is\u00a0being…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3512,"featured_media":133068,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"related_posts":[],"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[177,5593049,5592322],"tags":[5592887,2607520,5592891],"sapn-display":[5593034,5593032,45027],"sapn-type":[2607062],"class_list":["post-133062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industries","category-solutions","category-sustainability","tag-esg","tag-csr","tag-environment","sapn-display-feature-hero","sapn-display-feature-spotlight","sapn-display-hero","sapn-type-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n