Which ESG frameworks does your software support?

We build against GRI Standards, SASB industry-specific standards, TCFD recommendations, and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) under CSRD. The data model we design is framework-agnostic: ESG data is collected and stored once, then mapped to the specific disclosure requirements of each framework you report to. This means adding a new framework doesn't require rebuilding your data collection process. We also build against custom internal reporting requirements for organisations that have proprietary ESG metrics beyond the standard framework disclosures.

How do you handle Scope 3 emissions which come from suppliers and customers?

Scope 3 emissions are the hardest to collect because the data originates outside your organisation. We use a tiered approach. Your most significant suppliers submit primary data through a structured portal. The long tail, where primary collection isn't practical, gets spend-based estimation using industry emission factors. Supplier assessments then capture what's needed to improve estimation accuracy over time. Data quality flags distinguish primary data from estimates in your reported figures, so your methodology stays transparent to auditors.

How does custom ESG software compare to platforms like Watershed, Persefoni, or EcoVadis?

Those platforms are good products for organisations whose ESG reporting needs match the standard configuration they offer. Custom makes sense when your situation doesn't fit that standard. Common triggers: proprietary source systems the platforms don't integrate with. Supply chain data requirements specific to your industry or customer obligations. ESG data that has to feed existing internal systems rather than sit in a standalone tool. Or regulatory requirements more specific than the frameworks these platforms cover. We assess this honestly during discovery. If a commercial platform would serve you better, we'll say so.

What does ESG software development cost?

A focused first version covering one framework, one primary data source, and a reporting output launches in about 12 to 16 weeks. A fuller ESG platform covering multiple data integrations, Scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon accounting, multi-framework reporting, and a supplier data portal. Scope drives the plan. We scope every project before pricing. Fixed cost, agreed before work starts.

Our sustainability team is tiny. Will they actually run the new platform?

That's the right worry. Reporting becomes a quarterly fire drill when the team spends the cycle chasing inputs instead of acting on them. A steep learning curve is how enterprise tools fail small teams. We design the data pipelines and review workflows with your sustainability team. Automated pulls from source systems. Draft disclosures that show where every figure came from. A review surface simple enough that a two-person team can run a reporting cycle. The platform ships when your team can close a cycle on it without help.

Carbon accounting software for ESG reporting

ESG reporting has moved from voluntary to mandatory. CSRD covers tens of thousands of EU companies. SEC climate disclosure rules affect US public companies. Organisations that built manual spreadsheet-based ESG processes are now facing regulatory deadlines with infrastructure that can't scale to the reporting depth required.

ESG data collection from operational systems, energy, water, waste, fleet, facilities
Carbon accounting covering Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions with audit-ready evidence
Framework-aligned reporting for GRI, SASB, TCFD, CSRD, and custom disclosure requirements
Supply chain sustainability data collection from tier-1 and tier-2 suppliers

The problem

Sound familiar?

ESG data scattered across spreadsheets, energy bills, HR systems, and supplier emails, with no single source of truth that survives a regulator's data quality challenge?
Sustainability team spending 80% of their time collecting data rather than acting on it because there's no automated data pipeline from the systems where emissions and resource use actually occur?

Short answer

RaftLabs builds custom carbon accounting software that measures Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions using GHG Protocol methods. We pull activity data from your operational systems, apply IPCC, EPA, and DEFRA emission factors, and produce audit-ready evidence mapped to CSRD, GRI, and TCFD. Most teams launch a validated v1 in about 12 to 16 weeks.

Trusted by

01 Diagnosis

Where sustainability and ESG software usually breaks

01
Problem
The numbers are retyped, not measured
Solution
Emissions figures are exported from meters into spreadsheets, then into the ESG tool, and the audit trail is lost. Collection is manual, so teams spend the cycle chasing inputs instead of acting on them. The sustainability work that doesn't happen: reduction programmes, supplier engagement, target-setting. The team has no capacity left after assembling the data.Automated pipelines from source systems into a single verified data store return that capacity to the team. Every figure keeps its lineage from meter to disclosure. The outcome is a team that works on sustainability, not spreadsheets.
02
Problem
No place to hide behind poor data
Solution
CSRD reports are subject to audit assurance. External assurance providers and regulators don't accept ESG figures without a traceable methodology: which source system produced the data, which emission factor was applied, when the calculation ran. Figures assembled manually from spreadsheets can't provide that trail, and auditors are strict on applying every single rule.A system with calculation methodology documentation and data lineage from source to disclosed figure is what audit-ready ESG reporting requires. The outcome is figures that survive assurance.
03
Problem
Impossible to ignore, difficult to charter, and a monumental quest for data
Solution
Scope 3 is vast, sometimes making up 90% of total emissions, complex across 15 categories, and fragmented outside your operations. Supplier data collection is the single most critical barrier: no standardised data formats, variable supplier engagement, manual collection that doesn't scale.A structured supplier portal with tiered collection, primary data from the significant few and spend-based estimation for the long tail, plus data quality flags that keep the methodology transparent, turns the quest into a programme. The outcome is Scope 3 that improves year on year.
04
Problem
Copy-paste does not scale
Solution
ISSB, CSRD, GRESB, ENERGY STAR and new climate laws each want the same data shaped differently, and copy-paste does not scale. Organisations that built lightweight ESG processes for voluntary reporting are facing mandatory deadlines with infrastructure never designed for regulatory depth.A framework-agnostic data model collects once and maps to every standard simultaneously, so adding a framework doesn't mean rebuilding data collection. The outcome is one pipeline for every framework.

02 What we ship

ESG software we build

ESG data collection and aggregation
Automated data pipelines from the operational systems where ESG data originates: energy management platforms, building management systems, fleet telematics, HR systems, waste management portals, and utility providers. API integrations and scheduled data pulls replace manual spreadsheet exports. Data normalisation handles different units, reporting periods, and organisational boundaries. The outcome is a single verified ESG data store updated on a schedule your reporting cycle can rely on.
Carbon accounting software
GHG Protocol-compliant carbon accounting covering Scope 1 direct emissions, Scope 2 purchased energy emissions using both location-based and market-based methods, and Scope 3 value chain emissions across all relevant categories. Emission factor databases from IPCC, EPA, DEFRA, and IEA are applied to activity data from your operations. Supplier emissions data collection and spend-based estimation cover Scope 3 categories where primary data is unavailable. Calculation methodology documentation and an audit trail back every emissions figure your reports disclose. The outcome is carbon accounting an assurer can follow.
Regulatory and framework reporting
Reporting outputs mapped to the specific disclosure requirements of GRI Standards, SASB industry standards, TCFD recommendations, and CSRD European Sustainability Reporting Standards. A framework-agnostic data model maps collected ESG data to multiple frameworks simultaneously, so you're not running separate data collection processes for each standard you report to. Disclosure document generation includes data lineage: each disclosed figure traces back to the source data and calculation methodology. The outcome is reporting that satisfies auditors rather than triggering data quality questions.
Supply chain sustainability
Supplier sustainability assessment portals collect environmental performance data, labour practices disclosures, certification evidence, and Scope 3 emissions data from tier-1 and tier-2 suppliers. Structured questionnaires align to your supply chain reporting obligations. Automated follow-up workflows handle incomplete submissions. Data quality validation flags implausible supplier responses before they enter your reported figures. Supplier performance scoring and monitoring over time means your supply chain sustainability position is tracked rather than assessed from scratch each year. The outcome is a supply chain position you can demonstrate.
ESG stakeholder disclosure portals
Investor-facing and public ESG disclosure portals present your sustainability data clearly, with the methodology transparency institutional investors and rating agencies require. ESG data export supports formats compatible with CDP, EcoVadis, and investor ESG questionnaires. Controlled access for external parties like investors, customers, and lenders lets them see specific ESG data without entering your full internal platform. Versioned disclosure records keep prior-year reports accessible and preserve the data behind them. The outcome is disclosures investors can interrogate.
ESG analytics and performance tracking
ESG performance dashboards track your sustainability metrics against set targets: carbon reduction targets, renewable energy percentage, supplier sustainability scores, and diversity metrics over time. Year-on-year trend analysis includes normalisation for business activity changes, using emissions intensity rather than absolute figures when revenue or production changes. Scenario modelling supports carbon reduction pathway planning. Early warning alerts fire when metrics trend away from targets with enough lead time to intervene before the reporting period closes. The outcome is targets you can actually steer.

03 Buy, build, or wait

The ESG software decision is usually about the data: where it lives, how it gets to the report, and whether the auditor can follow it.

Stay on the platform

Watershed, Persefoni, EcoVadis
When your source systems are standard and the platform's frameworks cover your obligations.

Build custom

When it's a disclosure engine, not a data source
Meter data still has to arrive from elsewhere. Build the pipeline from your systems to the report.
When the frameworks multiply
Each wants the same data shaped differently. Build once, map to all.
When pricing doesn't publish
Enterprise-heavy pricing smaller teams can't justify. Fixed cost, agreed before we build.

Bottom line

Stay on the platform while your systems are standard and the frameworks fit. Build when the data pipeline, the framework sprawl, or the pricing stop fitting.

04 How we work

How we build ESG software

01
Discovery
We map your current ESG data sources against your reporting framework obligations and your next disclosure deadline. The session covers which systems hold energy, water, waste, fleet, HR, and supplier data. It includes your sustainability team, IT, and finance to confirm which data integrations are feasible and which gaps require a supplier engagement programme. The risk this retires: the data source that exposes nothing.
02
Architecture
We design the ESG data model: a framework-agnostic schema that maps collected data to GRI, SASB, TCFD, CSRD, and any internal reporting requirements simultaneously. The calculation methodology for each metric, including emission factors, unit conversions, and boundary definitions, is documented before build so your assurance provider can review the approach. The risk this retires: the methodology the assurer rejects.
03
Build
Development runs in two-week sprints, starting with the highest-priority data integrations and framework mappings. The Scope 1 and 2 carbon accounting module is built and validated before Scope 3 supplier collection is added. Framework reporting outputs are built alongside the data pipelines so your team can see draft disclosures as data flows through the system. The risk this retires: the Scope 3 module built before the data exists.
04
Launch and support
The first reporting cycle after go-live runs with both the new platform and your existing process in parallel, so your team can verify the outputs before relying on them for a regulatory submission. Post-launch support covers new data source integrations as your reporting scope expands, emission factor database updates, and configuration changes when regulatory requirements change. The risk this retires: the go-live timed before the assurance deadline.

05 Track record

What you get working with RaftLabs

Weeks to a validated v1: 12-16

Cost, agreed before we build: Fixed

Shipping production data and compliance software: Since 2015

08 Why us

Why choose us?

01
We've seen your problem before
Across dozens of industries, we recognise your situation fast, then frame the fix around your margin and your operations, not a generic template.
02
We own the number, not the ticket
We measure success the way you do: hours saved, revenue earned, margin recovered. We stay through launch and growth, so the result is ours to own.
03
Serious businesses trust us
Vodafone, T-Mobile, Cisco, Energia, Aldi, Nike. Building since 2015. Serious businesses keep coming back because we stay accountable long after launch.

09 Questions

Common questions

: We build against GRI Standards, SASB industry-specific standards, TCFD recommendations, and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) under CSRD. The data model we design is framework-agnostic: ESG data is collected and stored once, then mapped to the specific disclosure requirements of each framework you report to. This means adding a new framework doesn't require rebuilding your data collection process. We also build against custom internal reporting requirements for organisations that have proprietary ESG metrics beyond the standard framework disclosures.
: Scope 3 emissions are the hardest to collect because the data originates outside your organisation. We use a tiered approach. Your most significant suppliers submit primary data through a structured portal. The long tail, where primary collection isn't practical, gets spend-based estimation using industry emission factors. Supplier assessments then capture what's needed to improve estimation accuracy over time. Data quality flags distinguish primary data from estimates in your reported figures, so your methodology stays transparent to auditors.
: Those platforms are good products for organisations whose ESG reporting needs match the standard configuration they offer. Custom makes sense when your situation doesn't fit that standard. Common triggers: proprietary source systems the platforms don't integrate with. Supply chain data requirements specific to your industry or customer obligations. ESG data that has to feed existing internal systems rather than sit in a standalone tool. Or regulatory requirements more specific than the frameworks these platforms cover. We assess this honestly during discovery. If a commercial platform would serve you better, we'll say so.
: A focused first version covering one framework, one primary data source, and a reporting output launches in about 12 to 16 weeks. A fuller ESG platform covering multiple data integrations, Scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon accounting, multi-framework reporting, and a supplier data portal. Scope drives the plan. We scope every project before pricing. Fixed cost, agreed before work starts.
: That's the right worry. Reporting becomes a quarterly fire drill when the team spends the cycle chasing inputs instead of acting on them. A steep learning curve is how enterprise tools fail small teams. We design the data pipelines and review workflows with your sustainability team. Automated pulls from source systems. Draft disclosures that show where every figure came from. A review surface simple enough that a two-person team can run a reporting cycle. The platform ships when your team can close a cycle on it without help.

Sustainability and ESG software by product

Get a build-vs-Watershed plan for your ESG program

Tell us your reporting frameworks, current data sources, and the regulatory deadlines you're working to. We'll design the system and give you a fixed cost.

Scope and cost agreed before work starts. No surprises. No obligation.
Working prototype within 3 weeks of kickoff.
Pay by milestone. You see progress before each invoice.
60-day post-launch warranty. Bug fixes, UI tweaks, and deployment support. No retainer.
All conversations are NDA-protected.

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Where sustainability and ESG software usually breaks

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