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🌍 How Companies Extract ESG Reports Using SAP Sustainability Control Tower (SCT)

Swati Balani
SAP SCT

This includes setup, configuration, framework activation, mapping, data integration, consolidation, and report extraction for BRSR, GRI, ISSB, GHG Protocol, and TCFD.

Table of Contents

WHY ESG REPORTING IS NO LONGER OPTIONAL

Across industries—from manufacturing and energy to retail and BFSI—ESG reporting has shifted from a boardroom afterthought to a business-critical requirement.

Regulators require BRSR, global investors request GRI and ISSB, and customers demand transparent emissions and supply-chain sustainability.

But as companies begin their ESG journeys, they quickly realize:

Spreadsheets break. Data is scattered. Assurance is impossible. Reporting becomes chaos.

This is why global and Indian enterprises with SAP landscapes increasingly adopt SAP Sustainability Control Tower (SCT) as their ESG reporting backbone.

This blog provides a comprehensive roadmap, detailed configuration steps, and real extraction workflows for ESG frameworks using SAP SCT.

🏗️ SECTION 1 — WHAT IS SAP SUSTAINABILITY CONTROL TOWER (SCT)?

SAP SCT is a cloud-based ESG reporting platform that:

✔ Integrates SAP & non-SAP systems

Energy, waste, HR, finance, procurement, emissions, EHS, logistics

✔ Centralizes all sustainability metrics

Environmental, Social, Governance indicators from multiple frameworks

✔ Provides pre-built frameworks

✔ Delivers audit-ready reporting

Built-in approvals, versioning, lineage, data quality checks

✔ Supports automated extraction

PDF, Excel, Word, dashboard & API output

Many companies adopt SCT because it becomes the “single source of truth” for sustainability reporting across regulatory, voluntary, and investor frameworks.

🚀 SECTION 2 — THE COMPLETE ROADMAP FOR ESG REPORT EXTRACTION USING SCT

Below is the recommended end-to-end implementation journey:

PHASE 1 — Foundation Setup

1. Define ESG Reporting Scope

Identify which frameworks are relevant:

2. Create Unified ESG Data Dictionary

For each KPI define:

This becomes your “ESG Bible”.

3. Perform Materiality Assessment

PHASE 2 — System Integration

4. Integrate Core SAP Systems

SCT integrates with:

5. Connect Non-SAP Systems

Via:

PHASE 3 — ESG Framework Activation & Configuration

This is where SCT becomes powerful.

Each ESG framework must be activated and mapped.

🌿 SECTION 3 — DETAILED SAP SCT SETUP & CONFIGURATION STEPS

Below are the step-by-step configurations to extract BRSR, GRI, ISSB, GHG Protocol, and TCFD reports.

A. CONFIGURATION STEPS FOR BRSR IN SAP SCT

Step 1 — Activate BRSR Framework

Navigate to:
Governance → Framework Management → Add Framework → Select BRSR

SCT loads all indicators for:

Step 2 — Understand the Preloaded BRSR ESG Structure

SCT provides:

Step 3 — Create BRSR Data Model

Using your ESG dictionary:

Step 4 — Map Data Sources

For example:

BRSR IndicatorSAP Source System
EnergySAP PP/PM/MM
EmissionsSAP EHS / SAP Environment Management
WorkforceSAP HR / SuccessFactors
CSR SpendSAP Finance
Supplier DataSAP Ariba

Step 5 — Assign Data Owners

Plant-level → BU-level → Group-level
Setup workflows for approval and evidence uploads.

Step 6 — Set Validation Rules

Examples:

Step 7 — Import Qualitative Data

Policies, governance, strategy, grievance redressal.

Step 8 — Run Consolidation Engine

SCT aggregates data across:

Step 9 — Generate BRSR Report

Exports available:

B. CONFIGURATION STEPS FOR GRI IN SAP SCT

Step 1 — Activate GRI Framework

Framework Management → Add Framework → Choose “GRI 2021”

Step 2 — Select Material Topics

Based on:

Step 3 — Define “Disclosure Responsibility Matrix”

Map each GRI disclosure to:

Step 4 — Connect SAP & non-SAP Data

Examples:

GRI TopicMetricSource
302EnergySAP PP
305EmissionsSAP EHS
401EmploymentSAP HR
403SafetySAP EHS & Safety Suite

Step 5 — Configure Narrative Sections

SCT allows text blocks for:

Step 6 — Generate GRI Report

SCT creates a draft report with:

C. CONFIGURATION STEPS FOR ISSB S1 & S2

ISSB requires deeper financial linkage.

Step 1 — Activate ISSB S1 & S2

Framework Management → Add Framework → Select ISSB

Step 2 — Map Financial Materiality KPIs

Examples:

ISSB RequirementSAP Source
Climate riskSAP PaPM / Finance
Emissions pathwaysSAP EHS
Industry KPIsSAP ERP
Value chain impactSAP Ariba

Step 3 — Set Up Climate Scenario Models

Upload data such as:

Step 4 — Configure Impact Calculations

Using SAP Profitability & Performance Management (PaPM) when applicable.

Step 5 — Run Consolidation & Generate ISSB Report

D. GHG PROTOCOL CONFIGURATION IN SCT

Step 1 — Set Organizational Boundaries

Step 2 — Activity Data Integration

Scopewise:

Scope 1: fuels, refrigerants
Scope 2: electricity, district heating
Scope 3: logistics, procurement, employee commuting, capex

Step 3 — Emission Factor Mapping

Source emission factors from:

Step 4 — Consolidation

Entity → Region → Group

Step 5 — Export Emissions Report

E. TCFD CONFIGURATION IN SCT

Step 1 — Governance Setup

Assign board/management roles.

Step 2 — Strategy Input

Upload climate transition plans, risk maps, policy exposure.

Step 3 — Risk & Opportunity Matrix

Define:

Step 4 — Metrics & Targets Mapping

Often sourced from GHG, finance, ERP.

Step 5 — TCFD Report Export

🌍 SECTION 4 — HOW COMPANIES USE SCT IN REAL ESG REPORTING CYCLES

While we avoid naming individual organizations, we can safely state:

✔ Many large enterprises running SAP S/4HANA adopt SCT

Because ERP, EHS, HR, Ariba, SCM data already sits inside SAP.

✔ Manufacturing firms use it for BRSR & GRI

Data comes from energy meters, waste registers, safety logs.

✔ Conglomerates adopt SCT for ISSB

Because ISSB requires close linkage between sustainability and financial impacts.

✔ Global companies use SCT for automation

Generated reports have audit trails, versioning, and workflow approvals.

🧭 SECTION 5 — END-TO-END SAP SCT IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

A typical 12–16 week roadmap:

Phase 0 (Week 1–2): Discovery

Phase 1 (Week 3–6): Configuration

Phase 2 (Week 7–10): Integration

Phase 3 (Week 11–14): Data Load + Testing

Phase 4 (Week 15–16): Reporting

🟢 SECTION 6 — BENEFITS OF USING SAP SCT FOR ESG REPORTING

✔ Regulatory Compliance

BRSR, GRI, ISSB, GHG, TCFD supported by default.

✔ Automated Data Collection

No spreadsheets, no email chaos.

✔ Real-Time Dashboards

For plant, BU, and group-level insights.

✔ Assurance Ready

Evidence, audit trails, role-based approvals.

✔ Finance Integration

Crucial for ISSB and climate financial risk reporting.

✔ Repeatable, Scalable Reporting

Annual reports become faster and more accurate.

🌈 CONCLUSION — FROM CHAOS TO CLARITY

In the rapidly changing ESG landscape, companies cannot rely on manual reporting. They need:

SAP Sustainability Control Tower (SCT) provides all of this—bringing order, structure, and confidence to ESG transformation.

BRSR ensures regulatory trust.
GRI ensures global comparability.
ISSB ensures investor credibility.

Together, they shape how the world sees your company.

🚀 Call to Action: Turn ESG Complexity Into Clarity

If your ESG reporting still feels like a maze of metrics, scattered spreadsheets, and last-minute compliance pressure — you’re not alone. Every company begins in chaos. What matters is the roadmap you choose next.

Whether you’re building BRSR for the first time, aligning with GRI, or preparing for ISSB’s finance-grade disclosures, the journey doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right architecture, the right processes, and the right tools — sustainability reporting becomes repeatable, audit-ready, and decision-driven.

If you want to:
✔ Design an ESG reporting blueprint
✔ Map metrics across BRSR/GRI/ISSB
✔ Implement or optimize SAP SCT
✔ Build an integrated data pipeline
✔ Make your sustainability data as reliable as your financials

Let’s talk.
Together, we can turn turbulent reporting demands into an opportunity for transformation, resilience, and leadership.

✨ Your ESG clarity starts today.

Read more blogs on ESG here.

Here are two specific links to get you started:

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