Wolters Kluwer Enablon software

Enablon SD-CSR is a comprehensive and integrated solution for meeting sustainability requirements. Companies are facing increased demands for information about their social and environmental performance. Stakeholders, including investors, customers, rating agencies, the media, and the general public, are all evaluating companies using nonfinancial criteria. CSR performance data is thus becoming an increasingly important feature of corporate reports. The trend towards external auditing of CSR and sustainability reports is also reinforcing the need for greater data reliability and overall high standards of transparency and auditability.

Today’s challenging business environment is putting increased pressure on Sustainability, EHS and Risk professionals to deliver business performance while efficiently communicating to their internal or external stakeholders. In a world where social media and digital technologies have become mainstream, catching stakeholders’ attention requires more than old-fashioned static reports.

Within the context of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), many companies have implemented initiatives programs such as philanthropy actions and community involvement programs. Through these programs, companies invest corporate assets – which can be money, employee time or in-kind donations – in global as well as local community initiatives. Recent studies* have shown that companies today lack a global overview of their initiatives and their donations to the communities in which they operate. They often rely on informal exchanges at the local level rather than a systematic structured reporting process. To reap the benefits of their initiatives programs, companies need better visibility into their community efforts which will lead to efficient control of how corporate assets are invested at both the local and global levels. * Ernst & Young – “Implementing a CSR approach” Report– February 2008.

Because business activities are becoming increasingly international, and because many countries have increased and tightened their social regulations, a growing number of companies are reporting on their social performance. As a result, companies have a variety of new needs in terms of information and performance management: Social reporting (official Social Report, French NRE report, etc.). Compliance monitoring (compliance with local social laws, application of companies’ internal codes of conduct). Management of human capital, a key factor for competitiveness.

More than ever, the challenges of corporate responsibility play a decisive role in a company’s performance. Extra-financial data are now taken into consideration by stakeholders (employees, investors, customers, suppliers, rating agencies and the media…) when evaluating and benchmarking company performance. As a result, corporations are now expected to respond to a multitude of specific information requests from their stakeholders and need to meet increasingly stringent transparency and reliability requirements.

Globalization, worldwide supply chains, new environmental, social and ethical standards, fears about product safety, consumers and NGOs’ pressure: companies now live in an environment where supply chain management is both increasingly challenging and decisive in terms of business performance and risk prevention. Corporate responsibility is now extending beyond the company’s boundaries to include the global supply chain. The “supplier risk” threatens at any time companies’ brands, reputation, security and business continuity. Without efficient and reliable systems to measure, manage and improve sustainability performance at all levels of the supply chain, companies are at risk and unable to react to crisis.

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a supply chain issue due to the global nature of commerce, the corporate strategic partnerships and intermingled business processes between upstream suppliers, manufacturers and customers. Global Industry Initiatives and multi-stakeholders organizations need powerful systems linking these parties together to help them assess their performance and compliance level, share information, improve the efficiency of their operations and reduce environmental and social impact.

Complying with regulations on air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions is a requirement that is impossible to avoid. It is a prerequisite to continue doing business. In addition, stakeholders are increasingly requesting that companies demonstrate improvements in environmental performance.

Enablon FSA – Forecast & Scenario Analysis adds the analytical piece in organizations’ evolving carbon and energy programs by helping estimate and project the effects of carbon and energy reduction initiatives on a company’s fiscal and carbon position.

Climate change is at the forefront of business leaders’ minds. Not only are companies experiencing intense pressure from stakeholders to address the issue and take action, they are also now required to comply with an increasing number of regulations and standards. Within this context, the ability to accurately monitor, assess and report greenhouse gas emissions is key.