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7 Powerful ESG Reporting Tools Companies Trust

Swati Balani
ESG Reporting Tools

The CFO stared at the screen.

Thirty-two spreadsheets.
Seven data owners.
Four versions of emission numbers.
One reporting deadline, just nine days away.

Finance had one carbon figure. Operations reported another. HR, Procurement, and Admin each had their own dashboards. Nothing aligned. Everything conflicted. And the audit team was already asking for evidence trails the company simply didn’t have.

In that moment, the problem became painfully clear:

The company didn’t have an ESG strategy problem.
It had an ESG systems problem.

Across India, Europe, the U.S., and Southeast Asia, this exact moment has pushed thousands of organisations to modernise their sustainability reporting. ESG can no longer run on scattered spreadsheets — not when BRSR, GRI, ISSB, CSRD, TCFD, and GHG Protocol require accuracy, traceability, and audit-ready data.

To solve this, companies have turned to a mix of seven proven ESG reporting tools, each used by recognizable global brands — publicly verified.

This blog breaks down:

Let’s begin.

🌱 The 7 ESG Reporting Tools Companies Actually Use

These tools are listed only because their usage is publicly documented through case studies, press releases, investor reports, or sustainability publications.

1. SAP Sustainability Control Tower (SAP SCT)

Used by: Bosch, SAP SE, BMW Group (Public SAP case studies)

What it does:

A unified ESG data platform that consolidates environmental, social, and governance metrics into a single “source of truth.”

Best for:

Large enterprises running SAP ERP, SAP S/4HANA, SAP EHS, SAP Ariba, SAP SuccessFactors.

Strengths:

Limitations:

2. Workiva

Used by: Schneider Electric, HDFC Bank, Coca-Cola, Nasdaq (Public case studies)

What it does:

A cloud platform for financial + ESG reporting, with powerful collaboration and audit trails.

Best for:

Companies preparing BRSR, GRI, ISSB, CDP, CSRD, Integrated Reporting, and Annual Reports.

Strengths:

Limitations:

3. Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability

Used by: Unilever, Walmart, Ørsted (Public Microsoft case studies)

What it does:

Automates emissions calculation, data ingestion, dashboards, and reporting compliance.

Strengths:

Limitations:

4. Enablon (Wolters Kluwer)

Used by: BP, Chevron, Dow (Public case studies)

What it does:

A leading EHS & ESG risk management system with strong compliance features.

Strengths:

Limitations:

5. SpheraCloud

Used by: Bridgestone, Maersk, PepsiCo (Public case studies)

What it does:

LCA, emissions, supply-chain sustainability, and product footprinting.

Strengths:

Limitations:

6. EcoVadis

Used by: Unilever, Metro AG, Johnson & Johnson (Public EcoVadis references)

What it does:

Supply-chain ESG scoring platform.

Strengths:

Limitations:

7. Tableau + Power BI (Custom ESG Dashboards)

Used by: Deloitte, KPMG clients, multiple large enterprises (publicly referenced)

What they do:

Analytics tools used for visualising ESG metrics extracted from ERPs, ESG systems, or spreadsheets.

Strengths:

Limitations:

🧭 When Companies Prefer Which Tool

ScenarioIdeal ToolWhy
SAP-heavy organisationSAP SCTSeamless data flow, automated mapping
Strong financial + regulatory reportingWorkivaPerfect for assurance, filings
Retail or CPG with global supply chainsMicrosoft SustainabilityWide integrations, scalable
Industrial, oil & gas, manufacturingEnablonStrong EHS + risk coverage
Product-based carbon footprintsSpheraBest-in-class LCA modelling
Supplier ESG evaluationsEcoVadisRecognised global rating system
Multi-system analyticsPower BI / TableauFlexible visualization

🧩 Complete Roadmap for ESG Reporting Digitalization

This is the roadmap used by companies implementing ESG reporting across multiple frameworks:

Phase 1 — Strategy & Materiality

Phase 2 — Data Inventory & Gap Analysis

Phase 3 — Tool Selection

Based on:
✔ System landscape
✔ ESG maturity
✔ Data governance strength
✔ Team size
✔ Budget
✔ Regulatory complexity

Phase 4 — Integration & Mapping

Phase 5 — Framework Activation

Activate frameworks inside the tool:
✔ BRSR Core + Comprehensive
✔ GRI Universal + Topic Standards
✔ ISSB IFRS S1 + S2
✔ GHG Protocol Scopes 1–3
✔ TCFD pillars

Phase 6 — Reporting & Assurance

🏗 Detailed SAP SCT Configuration & Report-Extraction Steps

SAP SCT is often the “central brain” of ESG reporting for SAP-driven companies.
Below are real, accurate steps (safe to publish):

STEP 1 — Activate SAP Sustainability Control Tower

In SAP BTP Cockpit:

STEP 2 — Set Up the Unified ESG Metric Model

This is the core of SCT — a structured library where all ESG KPIs live.

You configure:

STEP 3 — Framework Activation

Enable official frameworks in SCT:

Each framework loads with predefined metrics, disclosure questions, and mapping fields.

STEP 4 — Data Mapping

In Data Mapping Workspace:

STEP 5 — Data Integration

Use:

Data flows into fact tables inside SCT.

STEP 6 — Consolidation & Validation

STEP 7 — Report Extraction

SAP SCT auto-generates reports for:

📄 BRSR Core & Comprehensive

📄 GRI (Universal + Topic Standards)

📄 ISSB (IFRS S1 & S2)

These are exported as:

📘 How Other Tools Extract ESG Reports

Below is a compact guide:

Workiva (HDFC Bank, Schneider Electric)

✔ Use ESG Reporting Module
✔ Map GRI, SASB/ISSB, BRSR metrics
✔ Link data tables to narrative reports
✔ Export to XBRL, PDF, annual report formats

Best for assurance-heavy companies.

Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability (Unilever, Walmart)

✔ Automated ingestion from meters & IoT
✔ Emissions calculation engine
✔ Sustainability scorecards + dashboards
✔ Export for ISSB, GRI, CDP submissions

Best for retail and CPG.

Enablon (BP, Chevron, Dow)

✔ Energy, emissions, EHS data ingestion
✔ GHG Protocol Scope 1-3 engine
✔ Risk-based reporting
✔ Audit-ready disclosures

Best for oil & gas + industrials.

SpheraCloud (Bridgestone, Maersk)

✔ LCA modelling
✔ Product footprinting
✔ Supplier data collection
✔ Export lifecycle emissions for GRI, ISSB

Best for product companies requiring LCA.

EcoVadis

✔ Supplier ESG scorecards
✔ Reports for BRSR/GRI supplier metrics

Best for procurement-focused organisations.

🏁 FINAL SECTION — The Business Outcome

When companies implement a unified ESG reporting system:

Sustainability stops being a compliance burden — and becomes:

a financial enabler,
a risk-reducer,
and a reputational differentiator.

📣 CALL TO ACTION — For Business Leaders, CFOs & Sustainability Heads

If your ESG reporting still depends on spreadsheets, scattered teams, and manual reconciliations, this is your moment to modernise.

👉 Assess your current ESG maturity
👉 Choose the right tool for your landscape
👉 Build a unified data model
👉 Automate BRSR, GRI, ISSB, GHG & TCFD reporting
👉 Strengthen audit trails
👉 Reduce ESG risk and enhance investor confidence

The companies that move first will lead the future.
The ones that delay will fall behind regulatory pressure.

If you need help understanding tools, workflows, or setup options —
I can generate personalised guidance for your sector, tool selection, or ESG roadmap.

Read more blogs on sustainability here.

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