Press release
BOSTON—May 1, 2024— New research from Bain & Company, published today, finds just 24% of companies say they are ready for upcoming sustainability reporting requirements—a potentially worrying statistic as it can take years to build the needed capabilities, such as the technology necessary for collecting, analyzing, and reporting sustainability data.
Bain surveyed more than 300 executives, with nearly 90% agreeing improvements in digital technology are critical for advancing their sustainability goals. However, most say that they are not taking the actions needed to make that happen.
Bain’s findings come as the global regulatory landscape rapidly shifts and expands, and as companies are under pressure to anticipate additional reporting requirements. The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive mandates that EU companies start reporting on their greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental factors by 2025. In California, large companies will need to report on Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2026, and Scope 3 emissions by 2027—not far off, considering the time it takes to put these systems in place.
“Technology will be essential for companies to meet their sustainability commitments and ensure compliance as regulations evolve,” said Adam Cox, Bain & Company partner and member of the firm’s Enterprise Technology practice. “In addition to carbon emissions, companies need to be prepared to address other aspects of sustainability, such as water use, waste management, and supply chain ethics. Doing so will require companies to invest in new technology systems, often accelerating existing initiatives to modernize their IT.”
Deploying technology to meet sustainability goals
Bain’s research found that enterprise technology typically represents about 25% of a company’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Large data centers can consume as much as 5 million gallons of water daily, and end user devices, such as laptops, can contribute to a company’s electronic waste load. Developing systems to minimize these impacts helps to build the capabilities that will serve the entire organization.
Beyond IT, enterprise technology is critical for monitoring and analyzing the data that executives depend on to understand baselines and set ambitions. Companies will need to set sustainability goals that align with the existing technology roadmap. Sustainability objectives can help turbocharge the business case for modernizing legacy technology and migrating to cloud workloads, so it makes sense to align the efforts.
A path forward
Only about one-third of the executives Bain surveyed with high sustainability ambitions believed that they have the technology necessary to deliver on them.
“Technology can become the bottleneck preventing companies from delivering on their sustainability objectives,” said Cox. “Leaders in this space have been investing in custom solutions to support their sustainability efforts for more than a decade, and most companies just getting started know they have some catching up to do. Speed will be critical for companies looking to tap sustainability as a competitive advantage.”
Media Contacts:
Gary Duncan (London) — Email: gary.duncan@bain.com
Katie Ware (New York) — Email: katie.ware@bain.com
Ann Lee (Singapore) — Email: ann.lee@bain.com
About Bain & Company
Bain & Company works with leaders worldwide to solve their toughest challenges and deliver enduring results. Since 1973, we’ve partnered with clients, including private equity and portfolio companies, to build the capabilities they need to stay ahead of change and help them redefine their industries. We measure our success by our clients’ success, and we proudly hold the highest levels of client advocacy in our field.
Bain is consistently recognized globally as one of the best places to work. We operate as one global team, uniting strategists, industry and functional experts, technologists, and advisors with a vibrant ecosystem of technology partners.
Notes to Editors
Bain & Company was founded in 1973 and today has 19,000 employees across 67 cities in 40 countries. We have worked with more than two-thirds of the Global 500 and more than 9,000 companies worldwide. Bain has pledged to deliver $2 billion in pro bono consulting to nonprofit, public-sector and charitable organizations by 2035. The firm is consistently recognized as a Leader in major analyst rankings across multiple areas, including digital business, innovation, strategy, experience design, customer experience, and carbon-zero transformation.