Leveraging Data for Sustainability:

Why UK Manufacturers Must Act Now 

The UK Government backing of the IFRS Foundation’s International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) aims to reduce the complexity of environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting; putting onus on businesses to demonstrate strategic approaches to ESG and provide clear and cohesive data.  

These data streams need to provide actionable insights that remove pain points such as fragmented systems, manual spreadsheets, and inconsistent reporting frameworks. 

Tools like IBM Envizi ESG Suite can automate up to 90% of data collection across multiple systems, from energy meters and ERP platforms to finance, procurement, and HR systems. This supports accurate, audit-ready reporting while freeing up internal teams to focus on decarbonisation strategy. 

Manual ESG data collection is resource-intensive and prone to error. Automating the process brings immediate benefits: 

  • Consistency across reporting cycles: Built-in methodologies standardise units, timeframes and emissions factors, ensuring compliance with global and UK-specific frameworks. 
  • Early Anomaly detection: Identify spikes in energy consumption or emissions early—before they impact performance or profitability. 
  • Supplier data integration: For Scope 3 reporting, Envizi uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to categorise supplier spend data and streamline Scope 3 Category 1 calculations. 
  • Audit-ready outputs: With full traceability from raw data to published metrics, manufacturers can be confident in their ESG disclosures—essential in the face of incoming regulation. 

Automating Supplier Data Collection 

Manufacturers can no longer afford to delay tackling Scope 3 emissions, and must take control of their entire carbon footprint, including Scope 3 emissions. The reliance on extensive supplier networks can make it difficult to gather accurate emissions data. AI-driven ESG solutions can: 

  • Engage suppliers at scale for the collection of emissions data. 
  • Automate the capture of transactional data from ERP and financial accounting systems. 
  • Categorise supplier spend data for accurate Scope 3 Category 1 emissions calculations. 

IBM Envizi uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to classify the Scope 3  Category 1 spend data, based on user-provided spend transaction descriptions. 

Beyond compliance, data-driven ESG insights unlock strategic value. Manufacturers can use ESG tools such as IBM Envizi with built-in Microsoft PowerBI, or link it with other BI tools via APIs for reporting. The IBM Envizi modules allow you to trial carbon reduction scenarios; forecast energy usage and identify cost-saving opportunities; benchmark ESG performance against peers or industry targets, and align sustainability initiatives with broader business goals. For example IBM Envizi’s Planning Analytics module lets users test the impact of operational decisions such as switching to alternative materials on emissions and energy use, supporting long-term planning and net-zero strategies. 

The journey to sustainability is complex—but it doesn’t need to be chaotic. Leveraging data through automation and ESG platforms allows manufacturers to move from reactive reporting to proactive sustainability management. 

Get in touch with us to explore how automating ESG Data and Reporting can help.