Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability: Simplifying ESG Reporting and Driving Insights
Organizations are experiencing a tidal shift from voluntary to mandatory environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting requirements. To address reporting complexity, organizations need reliable methods of centralizing, analyzing, and reporting on disparate ESG data that’s spread-out across their value chains, and for driving insights to take action.
Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability
Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability is built to meet this need, equipping organizations with powerful ESG data readiness and reporting capabilities and AI-powered actionable insights. With solutions built on Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, companies can more easily respond to emerging regulations, identify ways to improve progress, and find new business models and value.
Drive Efficient Reporting Processes
ESG reporting involves wrangling not just disparate data but varying reporting standards that examine new sustainability dimensions and specific areas like Scope 3 (indirect) supply chain emissions, and water and waste management. Collaboration and AI assistance can be key to streamlining.
External Reporting in Microsoft Sustainability Manager
External reporting in Microsoft Sustainability Manager (formerly Project ESG Reporting), now generally available, equips organizations with templates, frameworks, and AI-powered insights to reduce reporting complexity, enhance efficiency, and provide greater transparency to processes. Using these tools through Microsoft Power Platform or in Microsoft Sustainability Manager, organizations can seamlessly connect their ESG data, organize and review it, and collaboratively create voluntary and regulatory disclosure reports across a range of standards and frameworks including:
- Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
- Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards (ASRS)
- Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) 1 and 2
- Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
- International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) 1 and 2
- Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)
Find Facts and Finish Reports Faster with Microsoft Copilot
Synthesizing large amounts of data in comprehensive reports involves large-scale data processing and reporting in multiple formats simultaneously. By enabling Microsoft Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager (preview), you can simplify drafting from different source documents, greatly speeding up disclosure reporting.
Create Emissions, Water, Waste, and CSRD Preparatory Reports
With Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager, you can also use natural language to generate emissions, water, waste, and CSRD preparatory reports. Simply enter a trigger phrase, such as "Create a CSRD report" and describe the report you want to create, based on detailed parameters, for example: "Create a CSRD report in English for the year 2023 called ‘2023 CSRD preparation report’ for ‘Contoso Corp’ organizational unit."
Do More with Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager
Of course, Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager can help with much more than report preparation. With a growing set of skills, Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager can help you:
- Data querying using Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager: A user asks Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager to summarize their facilities’ water risk index against standards and to list details about transport modes.
Conclusion
Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability is designed to help organizations simplify ESG reporting and drive insights to take action. With external reporting in Microsoft Sustainability Manager and Microsoft Copilot, organizations can streamline their reporting processes, reduce complexity, and enhance transparency. By leveraging these capabilities, organizations can accelerate their progress towards a more sustainable future.
FAQs
Q: What is Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability?
A: Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability is a cloud-based platform that provides powerful ESG data readiness and reporting capabilities and AI-powered actionable insights.
Q: What is external reporting in Microsoft Sustainability Manager?
A: External reporting in Microsoft Sustainability Manager is a tool that equips organizations with templates, frameworks, and AI-powered insights to reduce reporting complexity, enhance efficiency, and provide greater transparency to processes.
Q: What is Microsoft Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager?
A: Microsoft Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager is a feature that uses a large language model to help you write qualitative and quantitative responses to fulfill ESG disclosure requirements.
Q: Can I use Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager for more than report preparation?
A: Yes, Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager can help with much more than report preparation. With a growing set of skills, Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager can help you with data querying, report creation, and more.
