ESG data collection software: a guide to the tools available

The time has come to produce the company's first ESG report. Or to answer a large client's questionnaire. Or to prepare the data for the bank.

And then you spot the problem: the information is everywhere, in an Excel spreadsheet in HR, in a shared folder in operations, in an email from a supplier, in an energy bill filed on paper. Collecting everything, validating, consolidating and formatting it takes weeks. And the following year, the process starts again from scratch.

This is exactly the problem that ESG data collection platforms exist to solve. They are tools that any organisation taking ESG seriously should consider, far from being luxuries reserved for large companies.

This guide explains what these platforms do, which categories exist on the market and what to assess before choosing.

What does ESG data collection software do?

Before comparing tools, it helps to understand what these platforms actually do, and also what they do not do.

An ESG data platform has four core functions:

What these platforms do not do: they do not define the company's ESG strategy, they do not choose the indicators to monitor and they do not replace human judgement in interpreting the data. They are tools for execution, and powerful ones when well chosen.

The categories of software available on the market

The ESG software market has grown rapidly in recent years and is far from uniform. There are at least three distinct categories, with very different user profiles and use cases.

Enterprise ESG and sustainability platforms

These are the most comprehensive solutions on the market. They cover the whole ESG management cycle: data collection, materiality analysis, value chain management, regulatory reporting, risk management and investor communication. Examples include Workiva, Enablon (Wolters Kluwer), Persefoni and IBM Envizi.

These platforms are built for large companies with multiple business units, complex regulatory obligations and dedicated sustainability teams.

For the generality of Portuguese SMEs, these solutions are oversized, in features as well as in cost and implementation complexity.

Carbon emissions calculation tools

A specific subset of tools focused exclusively on measuring and managing CO₂ emissions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3. Examples include Carbon Alt+Delete, Plan A, Climatiq and the Carbon Trust's carbon calculator.

They are useful for companies that mainly need to manage their carbon footprint, but limited for those who need full ESG reporting covering the social and governance dimensions.

ESG platforms for SMEs

This is the most relevant category for most companies reading this article. These are solutions built specifically for the needs and budgets of smaller companies, focused on standards such as the VS, with simplified interfaces and support for the reporting process without requiring dedicated teams.

This is where Sustanya sits, developed specifically for SMEs and Private Equity firms, with a focus on the Portuguese and European regulatory and market context.

What to assess before choosing a platform

Choosing ESG software is a decision that will have an impact for several years. A poor choice creates high switching costs: migrated data, redesigned processes, teams to retrain. These are the criteria that should guide the assessment.

1. Fit with the reporting standard

The first criterion is compatibility with the standards the company needs to comply with or adopt voluntarily. For Portuguese SMEs responding to requests from large clients or banks, the VS (Voluntary Standard, formerly VSME), the European voluntary standard for companies outside the CSRD scope, can already be used today and gains weight from financial year 2027, when it starts to limit what large companies can request from their suppliers. For companies that export or are part of international supply chains, the GRI may be needed. For companies with CSRD obligations, alignment with the ESRS is essential.

A platform that does not natively support the relevant standards will require additional manual work, precisely what you want to eliminate.

2. Ease of data collection across several departments

The biggest challenge in compiling ESG data lies in people, more than in software. The platform has to be simple enough for a production manager, with no specific ESG training, to enter the data that falls to them without friction.

Platforms with complex interfaces, excessive technical terminology or rigid workflows create internal resistance. And data that does not go into the system is data that does not exist for reporting purposes.

Always assess: does the platform allow several users at the same price and make data collection simple, even for people without in-depth knowledge of sustainability?

3. Validation and auditability

ESG data will be scrutinised by banks, clients, auditors or investors. The platform must ensure that each data point has a traceable origin, that changes are recorded and that supporting evidence can be exported.

Always ask the supplier: how does the platform handle incorrect data entered by mistake? Is there a change history? Can the data be exported in a format an auditor can check?

4. Scalability and future regulatory coverage

The ESG regulatory framework is evolving rapidly. The CSRD was simplified in 2025: from financial year 2027 it applies only to companies with more than 1,000 employees and over €450M turnover. Other companies can use the VS, which is already available. New standards may emerge.

The platform you choose today must be able to keep pace with that evolution without requiring a complete change of system. Prefer platforms with regular updates to their regulatory content and teams with expertise in the European context.

5. Support and guidance

For most SMEs, implementing an ESG platform is a new process. The supplier's support, in the local language and with knowledge of the local regulatory context, makes a real difference between a successful implementation and a platform that ends up unused.

Assess the quality of the onboarding, the availability of support in your native language and the existence of training resources suited to the team's profile.

6. Cost-benefit

The cost of an ESG platform should be weighed against the alternative cost: how much time does the team currently spend compiling ESG data manually? How many hours of external consultancy are needed to produce a report?

For many SMEs, the cost of a suitable platform is lower than the cost of one week of external consultancy a year, and it generates much more value over time.

A note on free tools and Excel

It is perfectly legitimate to start with free tools: spreadsheets, reporting templates downloaded online, free emissions calculators such as the ADENE calculator or the European Commission's tools.

For a first ESG diagnostic or to respond to a one-off request, these tools do their job. See how to structure that first diagnostic in ESG diagnostic: how to identify what your company already does.

The problem arises when the process becomes recurring. A spreadsheet does not validate data, does not create automated collection workflows, does not ensure auditability and does not generate formatted reports. What starts as a stopgap quickly becomes an obstacle to the growth of the ESG function.

The move to a dedicated platform should happen when the company starts receiving regular requests for ESG information (from banks, from clients or as part of a certification process) or when the team responsible for ESG spends more than two days a month on manual data consolidation.

How Sustanya fits into this market

Sustanya was developed specifically for SMEs and Private Equity firms in the Portuguese and European context. It is a solution built from the ground up for the real needs of smaller companies, not an adaptation of an enterprise platform.

Three characteristics set it apart in this market:

To understand which indicators to set up on the platform, see also the article VS (formerly VSME) explained: a practical guide for SMEs.

Evaluation checklist: 8 questions to ask any supplier

Before signing any contract with an ESG software supplier, ask these questions:

Choosing well from the start saves years of rework

The ESG software market will keep growing and specialising. More suppliers will enter, more features will be added, prices will evolve. But the most important decision is not to choose the perfect platform: it is to choose a suitable one and get started.

Companies that structure their ESG data collection on a dedicated platform early on build up a valuable asset: an auditable data history, comparable year on year, that shows progress and gives credibility to ESG claims in front of any stakeholder.

Companies that put off this decision and keep relying on manual processes lose time, make mistakes and arrive late to the conversations that matter: with banks, with large clients and with investors.