ESG Data Management Platform

Multi-channel data collection covering web forms for supplier and facility submissions, direct API connections to energy management systems and utility bill providers, flat file upload with parsing logic for Excel and CSV submissions, and AWS Textract OCR processing for utility bill PDFs and scanned invoices where structured digital data is not available. IoT sensor integration using Modbus TCP and BACnet protocols collects real-time energy consumption data from building automation systems and smart meters at facilities where sub-monthly granularity is needed -- useful for Scope 1 and Scope 2 calculations that go beyond annual utility bill aggregation. ERP and EMS data pull via SAP and Oracle API connectors brings production volumes, fleet fuel records, and facility operational data into the collection layer without manual export steps. Structured supplier portals with guided input fields, embedded unit selectors, and field-level validation at the point of entry reduce the volume of unusable submissions that arrive in open-ended formats or with incorrect units. Collection schedules are configurable by data type, reporting period, and organisational unit so the system knows when a submission is late and can send automated reminders before the collection window closes. Every submission is timestamped and source-attributed at the point of ingestion -- before any transformation or calculation is applied -- so the raw input values are always preserved alongside the processed figures.

Rule-based validation applied to incoming data before it enters the reporting store, structured around three quality dimensions: completeness, plausibility, and consistency. Completeness checks confirm that every mandatory field for the reporting period and organisational unit has been submitted -- missing data is flagged before the collection window closes, not discovered at consolidation time. Plausibility checks flag values outside the physically plausible range for the metric, facility type, and reporting period -- an energy consumption figure two standard deviations above the facility's historical range triggers a review request, not a silent pass. Cross-metric consistency checks identify internally contradictory submissions: energy consumption per square metre increasing significantly while reported floor area also increased would be flagged for review with the specific contradiction identified. Year-on-year variance alerts surface significant changes -- greater than a configurable percentage threshold -- that do not have a corresponding operational explanation recorded, prompting the submitter to add a restatement note or confirm the figure is correct. Validation failures are returned to the submitter with specific field-level error descriptions and the expected value range, so the problem is corrected at source by the person who submitted the data rather than by the sustainability team trying to interpret an anomalous figure at consolidation time. The GHG Protocol requires that material errors be restated; catching those errors before submission closes is significantly less work than managing post-publication restatements.

A single authoritative data store for all ESG metrics across GHG Protocol Scope 1 (direct emissions from owned sources), Scope 2 (purchased electricity and heat, calculated using both market-based and location-based methods), and Scope 3 (value chain emissions across the 15 upstream and downstream categories) -- alongside energy, water, waste, social metrics, and governance indicators, all organised by facility, business unit, supplier, and reporting period. The GHG calculation engine applies emission factors from EPA eGRID (US electricity grid), ECOINVENT (lifecycle emission factors), and DEFRA (UK conversion factors) based on the facility location and activity type, maintaining version-controlled emission factor libraries so the basis of calculation is reproducible and documentable. Market-based Scope 2 calculations apply contractual instrument data -- Renewable Energy Certificates, Power Purchase Agreements, and supplier-specific emission factors -- separately from location-based calculations, with both figures maintained so disclosures can report either method as required. EU Taxonomy alignment tagging records which activities qualify as environmentally sustainable under Taxonomy criteria, supporting the Taxonomy disclosure requirement for EU CSRD reporting. Organisational hierarchy configuration allows data submitted at entity level to be consolidated to group level with clearly defined aggregation and boundary rules. Multiple time series maintained for the same metric record restated prior-period figures alongside original submissions. The single source of truth that gives a consistent, auditable answer to "what were our total Scope 1 and 2 emissions last year?" regardless of who asks.

Every data point stored with its full provenance record -- source system or submission channel (API, web form, file upload, OCR extraction), collection date and time, submitting entity, emission factor applied and its version, transformation calculation steps, validation outcome, reviewer, and approval status. An immutable append-only log records every data modification, version change, approval action, and restatement with the user ID, timestamp, and stated reason for each change -- the log cannot be edited or deleted, only appended. Prior-period restatements are tracked with the reason for revision, the original figure, the restated figure, and the recalculated derived metrics, so the full audit trail of what changed and why is available years after the original disclosure. GRI, SASB, and TCFD framework mapping records which data points contribute to which disclosure metrics, so an auditor can trace from a published disclosure figure back through the calculation to the raw source submissions. XBRL and iXBRL tagging support is included for organisations preparing SEC climate disclosure rule submissions or EU CSRD digital reporting requirements. The data lineage that allows any figure in a published ESG report to be traced directly to its source record, the emission factor applied, and the person who approved it -- which is what Workiva, Watershed, Persefoni, and independent assurance providers require before they will sign off on sustainability disclosures.

Structured data output aligned to GRI Standards, SASB industry-specific standards, TCFD recommendations, and CDP questionnaire format -- with each disclosure metric mapped to the underlying data points in the repository so the output is generated from live data rather than manually assembled at reporting time. EU CSRD double materiality assessment workflow supports the identification of financial and impact materiality for each sustainability topic, with assessment records and documentation stored alongside the reporting data. Export formats match what each disclosure platform and framework accepts: XBRL and iXBRL for SEC climate disclosure rule electronic filing and EU CSRD digital reporting, CSV and Excel for CDP and investor disclosure questionnaires, PDF for board packs and integrated annual reports. Calculated metrics -- emission factors applied with version reference, intensity ratios computed against the correct denominator (revenue, square metres, tonnes produced), boundary adjustments with explanation, and market-based vs. location-based Scope 2 figures -- are included alongside raw activity data in all export formats so the basis of each figure is transparent. Third-party verification access provides assurance providers with a read-only view of source data, calculation steps, transformation records, and approval history for the specific metrics in scope -- without requiring access to commercially sensitive financial data or operational data outside the assurance engagement.

Bidirectional API integration with ERP systems -- SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Fusion, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 -- pulls production volumes, headcount records, fleet fuel purchase data, and revenue figures that are required as activity data inputs for Scope 1 and Scope 3 calculations and as intensity metric denominators. Energy management system integration with Schneider Electric EcoStruxure, Siemens Building X, and Johnson Controls Metasys connects facility-level energy consumption data from building automation systems, pulling sub-monthly granularity data rather than relying solely on annual utility bill totals. For facilities instrumented with IoT energy meters, Modbus TCP and BACnet protocol adapters collect real-time consumption readings from meters that do not have a higher-level API. Supplier portal integration ensures supplier sustainability data flows directly into the collection layer via API or structured web form submission rather than arriving by email in inconsistent formats that require manual normalisation. Finance system integration pulls the revenue and production volume denominators used in intensity ratio calculations so the denominator data and the numerator data share the same source-of-truth timestamps and are not manually reconciled at reporting time. Integration scope and architecture -- API vs. data export vs. real-time streaming -- is assessed during the discovery phase based on what systems you have, what data they hold, and what API access or export capabilities they support.