Enhancing Sustainability with Data-Driven Solutions
The sustainability software helps track and manage environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance
Digital Realty has selected IBM Envizi ESG Suite to collect, analyze and report on its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance across its network of data centers worldwide.
The company is using the software to help monitor progress, recognize areas for improvement, and meet disclosure requirements. The software is designed to offer a comprehensive solution for managing ESG performance, environmental impact, and sustainability objectives.
“By leveraging the capabilities of IBM Envizi, we will transform our ability to collect, analyze and report on our ESG performance across our global data center portfolio,” said Aaron Binkley, VP Sustainability, Digital Realty. “It will help track and manage our environmental performance, while enabling us to better meet the sustainability needs of our customers and other stakeholders.”
A report from the IBM Institute for Business Value titled The ESG data conundrum [1] revealed that while 95% of organizations surveyed have developed ESG propositions, only 10% made significant advancement in achieving their goals. Additionally, 73% of respondents expressed challenges in handling an excessive load of manual data.
“Organizations globally are simply buried in a massive amount of ESG-related data—from operations, sensors on factory floors, and more. But it is often siloed across databases, spreadsheets, and business units,” says Christina Shim, Vice President, Global Head of Product Management and Strategy, IBM Sustainability Software. “The IBM Envizi ESG Suite helps our clients, like Digital Realty, gain insights from data to fuel smarter, more sustainable decisions every day.”
In collaboration with IBM, Digital Realty uses Envizi to help manage and expedite its sustainability initiatives across its entire portfolio. Following are some examples:
- Creating a single data repository for ESG data: Through Envizi, the company streamlines the aggregation of data from various sources, such as utility data, renewable energy certificates, waste data, power usage efficiency (PUE) metrics, business travel records, and procurement activities. This simplifies the process of offering consistent data for reporting, analysis, and decision-making. For instance, it aids in calculating Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and supports the creation of the annual ESG report.
- Utilizing data analysis for informed sustainability decisions: Digital Realty employs Envizi’s advanced analytics to convert collected data into valuable insights regarding its portfolio’s performance. This aids in making informed choices and addressing sustainability objectives. For instance, Envizi can help in evaluating the current portfolio and driving improvements in three focal areas: constructing more sustainable data centers, finding novel energy solutions, and enhancing operational practices.
- Streamlining ESG and sustainability reporting: Committed to transparent ESG disclosures, Digital Realty provides annual performance reports, detailing progress towards the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) goals of reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 68% and Scope 3 emissions by 24% by 2030. Envizi’s ESG reporting capabilities are designed to simplify reporting procedures, with questions and responses managed within a singular software interface.
Additionally, IBM employs Envizi to input, store, and manage operational data such as energy and water consumption.
About Utility Analytics Institute (UAI)
UAI Enables Utility Transformation Through Analytics
UAI is a utility-led membership organization that provides support to the industry to advance the analytics profession and utility organizations of all types, sizes, and analytics maturity levels, as well as analytics professionals throughout every phase of their career.
Transforming into a data decision-based company is one of the most difficult transitions a utility will have to make to thrive in the new energy economy. It’s more than just managing massive amounts of data, implementing the right tools and technology, and people and process management. It’s ensuring you have proper change management processes in place to address cultural challenges, as well as data management and governance plans, and best practice and compliant security strategies in place. It’s implementing the best organizational structure for your utility, and hiring and retaining talented staff, plus so much more! UAI brings together leading utilities who are serious about tackling these challenges and together we concentrate on utility analytics.
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References:
1.IBM Institute for Business Value. (n.d.). The ESG data conundrum: The effective use of ESG data can accelerate profitability and growth. https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/esg-data-conundrum?_gl=1*1guw2te*_ga*MTI0Mjg4OTY5OC4xNjgyNjA5NjMz*_ga_FYECCCS21D*MTY5MzIxMTY5My4xMy4wLjE2OTMyMTE2OTMuMC4wLjA.
