18 sustainability management software providers to consider

Key features in sustainability management software

The tools offer a variety of features. For example, ESG materiality assessment capabilities help prioritize the most relevant issues for an organization or individual business units. Carbon accounting capabilities measure greenhouse gas emissions based on the Scope 1, 2 and 3 categories defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. There's usually support for various ESG reporting frameworks, such as the CDP reporting system, the TCFD Recommendations, the GRI Standards, the SASB Standards and the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards. Increasingly, tools now also include features for managing compliance with the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which imposes reporting requirements on about 50,000 EU and non-EU companies that start taking effect in 2025.

In an April 2024 report on sustainability management software, Forrester Research listed the following product features among the criteria used to assess the tools it evaluated:

• Support for materiality assessments.
• Data collection capabilities, including native integrations.
• Data quality management and standardization functionality.
• ESG and environmental strategy management.
• ROI calculations.
• Audit and compliance management.
• Environmental risk assessment.
• Supplier policy management.
• Reporting.
• Sustainability intelligence tools and dashboards.

Rita N. Soni, principal analyst for impact sourcing and sustainability research at Everest Group, said some sustainability management platforms also use technologies such as AI and machine learning to track, monitor and report on ESG metrics. But she cautioned that companies should set their ESG and sustainability KPIs before choosing a tool to make sure they get the right functionality and don't end up with unneeded features.

Here, listed in alphabetical order, are 18 prominent vendors of ESG and sustainability management software and information on the tools they offer. The list was compiled based on market reports from Forrester, Gartner and Verdantix plus research by TechTarget editors.

1. AMCS

Formally named Advanced Manufacturing Control Systems Ltd., AMCS acquired ESG software vendor FigBytes in October 2023. The FigBytes software, an integrated SaaS platform for managing ESG and sustainability programs, is now the AMCS Sustainability Platform. It combines six modules that support carbon accounting, emissions management, climate-related actions, water management, ESG performance tracking and reporting.

The AMCS software can be used to create a baseline greenhouse gas emissions inventory, benchmark carbon footprints across business operations and identify strategies for reducing emissions toward net-zero goals. It also helps users assess water risks and analyze the impact of water usage on local communities and watersheds. In addition, the platform provides tools for managing stakeholder engagement, philanthropic activities, supply chain transparency, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Other notable features in the AMCS Sustainability Platform include the following:

• DEI analytics tools that connect to commercial HR software systems.
• The ability to track energy, carbon and environmental impacts at the activity and asset level.
• Built-in integration with a separate platform that supports environmental, occupational safety and quality management initiatives.

2. Benchmark Gensuite

Benchmark Gensuite started in 1997 as a team at General Electric that developed environment, health and safety (EHS) compliance monitoring applications for internal use by GE. It was spun off as a separate company called Gensuite in 2010, then changed its name to Benchmark Digital Partners in 2021. At that time, the Gensuite software was rebranded as Benchmark ESG, but the cloud-based platform became Benchmark Gensuite in 2023. The company also started calling itself that, although it's still formally named Benchmark Digital Partners.

Benchmark Gensuite has expanded its platform over the years to support a broad range of sustainability and ESG management capabilities. Its sustainability tracking and program management software can be used to set sustainability strategies and capture site-level data on emissions, energy and water usage, waste and other environmental factors. ESG reporting, data management and analytics features are also included, and the company now offers a set of tools for managing CSRD disclosures. In addition, a separate product stewardship module supports product sustainability initiatives.

The Benchmark Gensuite software also provides the following features:

• Collaboration tools to help different teams meet ESG, sustainability and EHS goals.
• Operational risk management functions to improve visibility into potential business risks and help mitigate them.
• AI advisory capabilities that can spot patterns and make recommendations based on ESG data, plus separate generative AI (GenAI) tools to aid in data collection, summarization and analysis.

3. Diligent

Diligent, which is primarily known as a vendor of governance, risk and compliance (GRC) software, acquired a company named Accuvio in 2021 to add sustainability and ESG reporting tools. Its Diligent ESG software can be used to collect and aggregate data on Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions for carbon accounting. The software supports various ESG reporting frameworks and helps users generate audit-ready reports, providing features that include built-in change logs and automated data anomaly and completeness checks. Dashboards for reporting to the board of directors on ESG initiatives are available, too.

The company also offers an online climate leadership certification program to train board members and corporate executives on best practices for managing climate risks. In addition, Diligent sells a board diversity tool designed to help companies recruit a more inclusive board. Additional features in the software support benchmarking against other companies on board diversity and evaluating the board's performance.

The following are some of the specific sustainability reporting features that Diligent ESG provides:

• More than 80 preconfigured reports, plus the ability to create custom ones.
• Access to more than 70,000 emissions factors across 120-plus countries.
• Nine data capture methods, along with built-in APIs for connections to different data sources.

4. EcoOnline

EcoOnline mainly offered EHS software before acquiring ESG and sustainability management vendor Ecometrica in July 2023. The sustainability platform is now sold under the EcoOnline name but described as "powered by Ecometrica." It includes a suite of tools for measuring greenhouse gas emissions, reporting on emissions and climate risks, and monitoring deforestation risks in supply chains. The software calculates Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions against a database of more than 120,000 emissions factors and automatically translates raw data into common formats for reporting and regulatory compliance.

EcoOnline also provides a service to help companies create a base-year inventory of greenhouse gas emissions that can be used to track future progress on reducing carbon footprints. In addition, it offers APIs that simplify integration of its software with CRM, ERP and manufacturing execution systems. Its forest due diligence tool uses satellite data to track farming of commodity crops and other product sourcing operations that can affect forests, as well as water and climate risks in supply chains.

The EcoOnline platform also includes these features:

• Georeferenced emissions tracking to help organizations compare progress on reductions in various locations.
• Automated data integrity checks to help identify and address data quality issues.
• A full audit trail to provide transparency back to the source on all emissions data and on the assumptions used in calculations.

5. IBM

IBM offers two complementary tools for mitigating environmental risks and reporting on the environmental impact of business operations. IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite is designed to help companies reduce business disruptions caused by severe weather and climate change. The SaaS application monitors environmental conditions and alerts users when it detects problematic weather, wildfires and other disruptive events. It also uses geospatial data, weather records and AI technology to predict potential business impacts and help guide mitigation and response plans through near-real-time analytics.

In addition, IBM acquired sustainability management software vendor Envizi in 2022 to build up its capabilities for capturing, tracking and reporting ESG data on emissions and energy usage. The rebranded IBM Envizi ESG Suite software is optimized for calculating emissions as well as setting and monitoring progress on carbon-reduction goals. It supports various ESG reporting frameworks and can be used to manage ESG and sustainability initiatives as a whole, including corporate social responsibility programs, community investments and other social elements.

The following are some of the other features included in the two IBM products:

• Automated collection and consolidation of more than 500 data types from various sources in the IBM Envizi software.
• Integration of IBM Envizi with the company's asset management, facility management and IT infrastructure optimization tools.
• APIs built into IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite to access data sets on weather forecasts and historical weather events.

6. Microsoft

Microsoft released the first version of Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, a suite of ESG and sustainability tools, in 2022 after making it available as a public preview the year before. The suite helps companies measure carbon emissions and set and manage sustainability goals. It features a Microsoft Sustainability Manager application that can be used to automate the collection of operational data, set up emissions calculations, streamline reporting and track carbon reduction targets. In 2024, Microsoft added a preview implementation of Copilot, its GenAI tool, to aid users in creating calculation models, generating reports and querying data.

The sustainability suite also includes Emissions Impact Dashboard, a Power BI tool that helps companies measure emissions related to their use of Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 cloud services. APIs provide access to emissions data from the cloud services, and the dashboard can incorporate data on indirect Scope 3 emissions at suppliers and other business partners. Also part of the suite is Environmental Credit Service, a managed service for tracking carbon credits that's offered as a preview.

In addition, Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability includes the following features:

• Tools, also currently in preview mode, for analyzing various types of ESG data and metrics in the AI-driven Microsoft Fabric analytics platform.
• A survey portal to collect ESG data from suppliers and other business partners, plus access to ESG ratings on suppliers from EcoVadis.
• The ability to calculate emissions related to employee commutes and product end-of-life processes.

7. Nasdaq

Nasdaq acquired sustainability software vendor Metrio in 2022 as part of a plan to build out a broad suite of ESG tools and services. A year later, it integrated Metrio's SaaS platform for ESG analytics and reporting with Nasdaq OneReport, another tool that Nasdaq bought in 2020. The unified platform, rebranded Nasdaq Metrio, combines Metrio's KPI-driven approach with the reporting framework orientation of OneReport, which focused on managing ESG disclosures and external data sharing. The latter tool is now a separate product module within Nasdaq Metrio.

The platform also includes tools for automated data collection, ESG performance tracking, data analysis, collaboration and stakeholder communications. It can be used to create interactive online reports that are personalized for different recipients, as well as standardized reports for broader audiences. Materiality assessment capabilities help companies identify critical ESG factors for both their business operations and stakeholders. In addition, Nasdaq added a carbon accounting and management tool for reporting on greenhouse gas emissions when Nasdaq Metrio was launched.

The Nasdaq Metrio software also provides the following features:

• The ability to create a dedicated sustainability website to share ESG goals and performance data.
• Automated generation of an audit trail on all source data and the assumptions that go into ESG metrics.
• Support for measuring and demonstrating progress toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.

8. Persefoni

Persefoni was founded in 2020 to help organizations manage carbon accounting initiatives focused on greenhouse gas emissions. The company's SaaS platform is designed to enable carbon management programs to be created quickly and scaled to meet business needs. Paying users can answer some questions, upload their data and follow Persefoni's automated Footprint Ledger to set up processes for calculating carbon footprints. The software then applies transparent calculation methods and models to generate disclosures with full audit trails for regulators, investors, customers and supply chain partners.

Persefoni Copilot, a GenAI tool built on the company's own large language model, is embedded in the platform to support carbon accounting efforts. Another AI tool provides anomaly detection capabilities in carbon-related data sets, and one that will use natural language to help map data sources and data types to emissions factors is being developed. Customers can also get deployment help from a team of climate applications advisors who are assigned to work one-on-one with users.

The Persefoni platform also provides the following features:

• A free Pro subscription plan that lets users measure emissions, share the data externally and do basic emissions analytics, among other capabilities.
• A financial services version that includes a module for calculating financed emissions to help assess the carbon footprint of investment portfolios.
• Add-on modules for benchmarking carbon footprints against other companies through the use of CDP data and generating customized decarbonization recommendations.

9. SAP

SAP introduced its first sustainability management tool in 2020 and now offers a suite of cloud-based software that supports various functions. The available products include SAP Sustainability Control Tower, an ESG program management and reporting tool; SAP Sustainability Footprint Management for calculating the carbon footprint of individual products and corporate operations as a whole; and SAP Responsible Design and Production, which can be used to incorporate a circular economy model into product design and manufacturing operations.

Some existing applications focused on social responsibility and supply chain management are also part of the sustainability software offering. They include SAP's EHS software for managing environmental and workplace safety issues, as well as several SAP Ariba tools that support sustainable procurement, supplier management and human rights due diligence in supply chains. In addition, an SAP S/4HANA product compliance tool helps manage sustainability requirements. The sustainability offerings are integrated with S/4HANA, SAP's flagship ERP system, enabling a bidirectional flow of data in real time.

SAP also offers the following sustainability management features:

• AI-enabled reporting functionality in SAP Sustainability Control Tower to automatically generate drafts of recurring ESG reports.
• A tool for collecting standardized Scope 3 emissions data from suppliers that's integrated with SAP Sustainability Footprint Management.
• The ability to use SAP Green Token, its blockchain-enabled digital twin technology, to track the sustainability of raw materials across supply chains.

10. Salesforce

Salesforce initially launched a Sustainability Cloud product in 2019 as an outgrowth of efforts to streamline its own sustainability reporting processes. It later extended the preliminary offering to run on what's now the Einstein 1 Platform and rebranded the product as Net Zero Cloud. Building the ESG software on the company's core platform enables users to take advantage of the existing Salesforce ecosystem of rapid development tools, prebuilt integrations and reporting capabilities.

Net Zero Cloud can help companies conduct ESG materiality assessments, calculate greenhouse gas emissions and manage emissions data from partners and suppliers. It provides out-of-the-box Tableau dashboards and supports what-if analysis and emissions forecasting. Data on DEI initiatives and both water and waste management programs can also be tracked. Einstein AI technology enables Net Zero Cloud to automatically populate suggested responses to questions or prompts in report builders aligned with various reporting frameworks.

In addition, Net Zero Cloud offers the following features:

• Integration of data from multiple sources with automated updates to data sets and an audit trail for reporting purposes.
• Net Zero Marketplace, an integrated online catalog of emissions factor data sets that are either included with Net Zero Cloud or available to buy.
• Summarized views of travel-related emissions data across a company, including emissions from air and ground travel plus hotel stays.

11. ServiceNow

ServiceNow initially focused on cloud-based IT service management capabilities but has since extended its product line to various other domains, including ESG. Built on the company's Now Platform, the ServiceNow ESG Management software supports data collection, performance monitoring and reporting on various ESG factors. Data aggregation and validation can be automated, as can report writing. The software includes an executive dashboard for tracking ESG metrics, goals and disclosures, as well as a separate dashboard for managing green IT initiatives.

Users can upload documents about collected ESG data to create an audit trail and add notes about individual ESG metrics for further documentation. The ESG software is integrated with ServiceNow's risk management and business strategy portfolio management products, which enables companies to incorporate management of ESG risks and programs into broader corporate initiatives. It can also be integrated with the vendor's IT asset management software.

Other features in ServiceNow ESG Management include the following:

• Integration with Microsoft 365 to streamline the process of drafting and updating ESG disclosures.
• Built-in connections to other ServiceNow products and external business applications for collecting ESG data.
• A repository of information about ESG reporting frameworks and standards, metrics definitions and emissions factors.

12. Sinai Technologies

Founded in 2017, Sinai Technologies offers software to help companies monitor and analyze greenhouse gas emissions and calculate internal carbon prices so they can measure the financial impact of emissions. Sinai's platform is focused on developing what it calls decarbonization intelligence models that aggregate emissions data from business operations and identify cost-effective ways to reduce emissions. It also enables users to collaborate across their supply chains on emissions data collection and carbon accounting.

Companies can use the Sinai software to assess the impact of certain measures, such as switching to renewable energy sources, electrifying vehicle fleets or installing better insulation in facilities. In addition, integration with Salesforce's Tableau analytics platform can help organizations visualize climate-related data and expected decarbonization impacts. They can then share the data visualizations with investors, customers and other stakeholders.

Sinai also provides the following features:

• Simplified data inputs for complete emissions calculations across Scopes 1, 2 and 3.
• Emissions scenarios that estimate future emissions levels based on expected business changes.
• Forecasting of carbon credits and offsets due to anticipated emission reductions.

13. Sphera

Formed in 2016 after various predecessor companies were combined, Sphera initially focused on EHS compliance and reporting software before extending its product line into ESG and sustainability tools. It now provides cloud-based software and associated consulting services to help companies identify, manage and mitigate ESG-related risks. A separate product stewardship offering in its SpheraCloud platform can be used to improve the sustainability of an organization's products, and another application aids in managing supply chain sustainability initiatives.

Sphera's sustainability software includes modules that support ESG data collection and reporting, sustainability performance management and calculation of environmental impacts from greenhouse gas emissions. To help in reporting, decarbonization and sustainability modeling initiatives, Sphera offers a database with more than 20,000 lifecycle assessment data sets on products and processes in various industries. The database also includes over 1,500 sets of emissions factors.

Sphera also offers the following ESG and sustainability features:

• Environmental accounting and regulatory compliance capabilities on greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and waste management.
• Software for tracking, analyzing and reporting on Scope 3 financed emissions tied to corporate investment portfolios.
• Tools to help prioritize ESG goals and create a roadmap to guide sustainability investment decisions.

14. Sweep

Sweep, which was founded in 2020, offers software that was initially designed for carbon tracking and management but now also handles other types of ESG data. On the carbon side, the Sweep platform aims to help companies reduce their own emissions and collaborate with supply chain partners on reduction efforts. It provides tools to identify emissions hotspots and potential reduction opportunities; define targets; and measure progress on sustainability initiatives and ESG reporting requirements.

The software collects data on more than 40,000 emissions factors, using AI to streamline the data collection process and data cleansing tasks. AI-powered tools also recommend relevant emissions factors and potential action plans to reduce emissions and meet other sustainability goals. In addition, a GenAI assistant suggests materiality mapping of ESG issues and can automate reporting of nonfinancial data. A separate software module supports collection of emissions data from suppliers and other business partners, with the ability to jointly set and monitor reduction targets.

Other features provided by Sweep include the following:

• Real-time dashboard views of progress on compliance with CSRD and other ESG disclosure mandates.
• Capabilities for modeling the potential impact of different emissions reduction strategies.
• A version of the software that banks and investment firms can use to manage financed emissions in their investment portfolios.

15. UL Solutions

The commercial business of what was originally Underwriters Laboratories, the venerable safety standards organization established in 1894, UL Solutions offers a portfolio of software products, including a set of ESG and sustainability tools. Part of the vendor's Ultrus platform, the UL 360 software helps companies collect, manage and report ESG and sustainability data. Users can also build an audit trail with automated tolerance checks and benchmark their organization's ESG performance against other companies.

UL 360 provides automated data management capabilities and includes a library of more than 120,000 emissions factors for tracking and managing carbon footprints. An add-on module supports reporting on Scope 3 emissions in supply chains, while another one helps manage CSRD reporting and other ESG disclosures. UL Solutions also sells two related products: PurView is a tool that companies can use to evaluate whether materials, products and manufacturing processes are sustainable and socially responsible, while Turbo Carbon is emissions reporting software for small businesses.

The UL 360 software includes the following additional features:

• Preconfigured starter pack options for fast deployments in six weeks or less.
• Modules for managing ESG initiatives and collecting information on ESG-related incidents.
• Customized reporting tools for managing emissions and ESG metrics in real estate property portfolios.

16. Watershed Technology

Founded in 2019, Watershed Technology offers software that helps companies measure, report and reduce carbon emissions and align their climate strategies with profitability and other business results. The Watershed platform supports detailed carbon accounting on 60,000 emissions factors from 400 industries to identify opportunities for reductions both within companies and across supply chains. It can now also track data on water usage and waste.

To generate a carbon footprint analysis, users can upload raw data by dragging and dropping files into a dashboard or automating data collection via an API; footprint calculations automatically refresh when new data is added. In addition, Watershed provides audit-ready reporting that complies with various frameworks and standards, as well as the CSRD through a separate module. The software can also model future emissions scenarios at the material, product and company level and help companies create an action plan for reducing their emissions.

The following are some of the other features that Watershed provides:

• Vetting and matching tools that enable users to buy clean power for buildings, data centers and remote workers.
• An integrated marketplace for investing in carbon removal projects and offsets that also have been vetted by Watershed.
• Support from in-house climate experts, who can also prepare and submit CDP reports and work with third-party auditors.

17. Wolters Kluwer

Information, software and professional services provider Wolters Kluwer entered the sustainability market by acquiring software vendor Enablon in 2016. Enablon initially focused on EHS and GRC software before adding ESG and sustainability management tools to its SaaS-enabled platform. Now branded Enablon ESG Excellence, the offering includes sustainability and ESG reporting software, plus tools for managing sustainability performance metrics, greenhouse gas emissions and relationships with stakeholders.

Enablon users can create reports that conform with CSRD and various reporting standards using integrated functionality from CCH Tagetik, a corporate performance management tool that Wolters Kluwer also owns. The Enablon software helps companies track both qualitative and quantitative ESG metrics on various KPIs, including ones related to water and energy usage, emissions, waste generation and diversity. In addition, users can integrate management of ESG risks with wider operational and enterprise ones.

Other features included in the Enablon platform include the following:

• Data quality improvement through automated consistency checks and data approval workflows.
• The ability to track sustainability performance at the corporate, business unit, regional and facility levels.
• Functionality to help tailor and personalize ESG reports and communications for different stakeholders.

18. Workiva

Workiva's cloud-native platform combines ESG reporting and management functions with risk management, auditing, financial reporting and other corporate processes. The vendor introduced its ESG reporting software in 2021. Since then, it has added several tools to expand the reporting capabilities plus an integrated carbon accounting and management application that was launched in June 2024. The Workiva Carbon software is based on technology developed by Sustain.Life, a company that Workiva acquired to help broaden its ESG product offerings.

The reporting tools include ESG Explorer, which gives users information on different reporting frameworks and standards to help identify disclosures that are material to their organization. An ESG Program tool provides an operational hub to manage ESG reporting efforts, while ESG Path provides templates for defining ESG goals and developing internal processes. In addition, embedded report design features enable users to customize report layouts and add graphical elements within the Workiva platform.

Workiva also offers the following ESG-related features:

• An ESG materiality assessment template with materiality matrix examples plus sample questions and scoring methodologies.
• Commenting and version control capabilities for reviewing reports before they're published.
• A set of APIs for collecting various types of ESG data.

This article was updated in August 2024 for timeliness and to add new information.

Craig Stedman is an industry editor who creates in-depth packages of content on analytics, data management, cybersecurity and other technology areas for TechTarget Editorial.

George Lawton is a journalist based in London. Over the last 30 years, he has written more than 3,000 stories about computers, communications, knowledge management, business, health and other areas that interest him.