How to Choose an ESG Management Software to Achieve your Net-Zero Targets

The market for ESG management software has grown significantly, offering various solutions tailored to different stages of your sustainability journey. Each solution varies in features and depth, catering to diverse needs across industries.

In real estate, many companies start by focusing on the basics, like collecting data for reporting requirements. As they move forward, they often add more tools to handle the full scope of their sustainability efforts. While this can work initially, it can eventually lead to complicated integrations, scattered data, and increasing software costs.

To avoid these issues, think about both your current needs and future goals when selecting ESG management software. Ideally, the solution you choose should support your business plans for the next three to five years.

Let’s dive in:

Navigating the ESG Lifecycle in Real Estate Asset Management: A Checklist for Choosing Effective ESG Software

Each stage in the ESG lifecycle has unique challenges and requires specific software functionalities:

Data Collection

The first phase of your ESG journey involves gathering asset data, which can be tricky depending on where your properties are located. For example, Germany is behind in adopting smart meters, while the UK has about 90% coverage. Wherever possible, opt for automatic data collection rather than relying on property managers to do it manually.

• Multiple Data Collection Methods: Make sure the software supports various data collection methods, like smart metering APIs, utility provider connections, automated data extraction from utility bills, bulk CSV uploads or manual input, and custom workflows for efficient data collection when collaborating with Property or Facility Managers.
• Data Consent: Especially if you have a large residential portfolio, ask your software vendor whether and how they ensure consent collection, as without it, having smart meters in place doesn’t help.
• Data Accuracy and Completeness: Look for features that validate and check data to maintain high integrity as well as for features that highlight missing or incomplete data collection so you know where you need to drill down.‍
• Verified Projections: If asset data is missing, take advantage of tools that offer verified projections based on smart algorithms to help you close data gaps and provide a full analysis of your portfolio. Some software solutions use complex algorithmic calculations that can achieve a projection with 90-97% accuracy.‍
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Choose a platform that allows you to add all stakeholders (ideally for free) to centralise data and communication.‍
• Scalability: The software should be scalable to handle increasing amounts of data.

Benefits: Automated data collection cuts down on labor costs and reduces errors associated with manual entry. This leads to more consistent and reliable ESG assessments and ESG reporting.

Analysis

Once you’ve collected the data, the next step is to analyse it to assess asset performance across your portfolio. This analysis helps you and your portfolio manager quickly identify where action is needed to prevent asset devaluation due to stranding risk. Your selected software should offer:

• CRREM Path Analysis: This is the industry standard for assessing an asset's stranding point. Ensure the software provides CRREM path analysis for all countries where you have assets.
• Benchmarking: The software should allow for benchmarking against industry standards or historical performance.
• EPC energy classes: it should cover the countries where your assets are located.

Benefits: Advanced analysis capabilities enable asset managers to process and understand large amounts of data quickly. This leads to better decision-making and early identification of market trends, allowing for timely strategy adjustments.

Optimisation

Meeting regulations and measuring performance against benchmarks like GRESB Real Benchmarks is important, but what comes next? How do you improve your ESG scoring? This is where optimisation is crucial, and only a few software providers have this capability.

With some tools, asset managers can get automatic measures recommendations based on the state of their assets. They can also create retrofit or renovation scenarios, complete with cost and ESG impact data, to make the best decisions from both financial and sustainability perspectives.

• Automated Measure Suggestion: The software should automatically suggest optimisation measures based on asset characteristics.
• Retrofit Scenarios: Look for tools that allow scenario planning and simulation to forecast the outcomes of various ESG initiatives.
• Subsidies and Financial Incentives: Ensure the software can assess both ESG impact and financial incentives, including payback time and ROI.
• ROI Calculation: The software should help you build and compare decarbonisation or retrofit plans, focusing on ROI and assessing financial and ESG impacts.
• Breadth of Measures: Depending on your assets' locations, various measures could apply. For instance, photovoltaic panels are popular in Germany but less so in the Netherlands. Choose a software vendor that offers country-specific measures or can add them on demand.

Benefits: Optimisation capabilities reduce the need for external consultants, decrease costs, and improve your ability to respond quickly to market or regulatory changes.

Execution

As an asset manager, keeping track of tasks assigned to property or facility managers can be a challenge. With several portfolios to manage and multiple stakeholders involved, you need a tool that offers:

• Project Tracking Features: Robust project management and tracking capabilities to monitor the status and effectiveness of ESG initiatives.
• Task Notifications: Alerts for approaching deadlines, blocked tasks, and more.
• Collaboration: In-platform messaging to minimise reliance on email, SMS, or WhatsApp.
• CapEx Management: Tools for tracking and managing investment budgets annually, providing a single source of truth for all investments.

Benefits: An effective ESG management platform streamlines project tracking and task management, ensuring clear responsibilities and timely progress. Centralised communication reduces confusion, while CapEx management tools provide clear budget oversight. This integrated approach leads to efficient execution and successful achievement of ESG goals.

Reporting

Organisations must adhere to various reporting standards, such as SFDR, CSRD, and the EU taxonomy. Additionally, they may choose to comply with other ESG reporting standards like GRI, GRESB, and ECORE - or follow their own guidelines. This stage is crucial for transparency, providing stakeholders with insights into the organisation's ESG efforts and outcomes.

• Compliance with Reporting Standards: The software should support compliance with all relevant ESG reporting standards (like SFDR, CSRD, GRI, etc.).
• Portfolio and Asset-level Reports: It should generate reports ready to be shared with regulators, investors, and other stakeholders, with export options like PDF or XLSX.
• Customisable Dashboards: Ensure the software offers dashboards that can be tailored for different stakeholders, providing real-time data insights and reporting.
• Compliance and Assurance Features: Look for solutions that offer user role separation, audit logs, or change logs. This is critical for CSRD reporting, as data auditability is a requirement.

Benefits: Advanced reporting capabilities ensure compliance with global standards and provide stakeholders with clear, accurate information. This transparency builds trust, attracts investors, and enhances the company’s public image.

Additional Criteria for Fast Adoption and Scalability

Beyond features, there are other critical factors to consider when choosing an ESG software platform:

• Onboarding and Training: The software should be easy to onboard and come with comprehensive training resources to help your team get up to speed.
• Professional Services and Support: Excellent customer support and professional services can add significant value, especially when you need help customising or troubleshooting the software.
• User Interface: A clean, intuitive UI makes it easier for your team to adopt the software and reduces the time needed for training.
• Pricing Structure: Opt for a pricing model that scales with the value provided, such as costs based on asset or portfolio value rather than per user. This aligns better with real estate operations.
• Future-proofing: The software should be adaptable to new regulations and market needs, ensuring it remains useful in the long term.

Why Should you Consider a Full-Lifecycle ESG Management Solution in the First Place?

Beyond feature by feature evaluation, having an ESG solution covering the entire journey of an asset brings higher level benefits for your organisation.

A comprehensive ESG management software can fill this gap by streamlining processes, improving reporting accuracy, increasing asset performance, and driving long-term value creation. Here are some of the key benefits of using a single platform for managing the entire manage-to-net-zero journey:

1. Comprehensive ESG Management: Integrating all aspects of ESG management allows for better decision-making. It helps balance sustainability goals with financial performance, ensuring consistent oversight across your entire portfolio.
2. Improved Data Integrity: By centralising data collection and reporting, you maintain accuracy across all areas of ESG. This is essential for making meaningful comparisons and staying compliant with global and national ESG regulations.
3. Data Management Efficiency: With integrated tools, you reduce data silos, cut down on errors, and make your ESG data management more efficient and less resource-intensive.
4. Regulatory Compliance and Adaptability: A comprehensive ESG software platform ensures that your organisation keeps up with evolving compliance standards. These solutions often include updates reflecting new regulations, helping you avoid penalties and maintain a good reputation.
5. Clear Communication with Stakeholders: These solutions often include detailed reports and dashboards that help communicate your ESG efforts to investors, regulators, and tenants, building trust and engagement.
6. Cost Efficiency and Strategic Alignment: Managing the ESG lifecycle with a single platform is more cost-effective than juggling multiple tools. It aligns sustainability efforts with overall business strategies, providing tools for project management and performance tracking.

Proactive ESG Management: The ability to quickly adapt to new sustainability challenges is crucial. It allows businesses to respond proactively to emerging trends and stakeholder expectations, helping them future-proof their operations.

Maintain and Increase the Value of Your Assets

In conclusion, choosing an ESG software solution that covers the entire lifecycle is essential for companies focused on increasing asset value through sustainability. Not only does it enhance operational efficiency and compliance, but it also supports strategic decision-making and effective communication of ESG performance, positioning your business for long-term success in a competitive and rapidly changing market.

Alasco is the only Manage to Net-Zero platform that covers the entire ESG journey. With integrated tools for analysis, planning, execution, and transparent reporting, Alasco simplifies the ESG transformation and supports your sustainability goals.

Want to increase the value of your assets? Discover how Alasco can help you manage your path to net-zero.