Data is the foundation of everything in sustainability. It’s what turns your targets into actual reductions: in energy costs, supply chain exposure, and climate-related risk. Without reliable, traceable, audit-ready data, everything else in your sustainability program is built on uncertain ground.
And yet, you’re probably managing sustainability data in a way that lags far behind the ambition it’s meant to support. The tools driving your financial reporting, HR operations, and supply chain management have matured over decades. But like many businesses, your sustainability data collection may still rely on spreadsheets, email chains, and a small team doing more with less.
Extra-financial data is increasingly held to the same standard as financial reporting. Investors, auditors, and regulators expect the same rigour, the same traceability, the same ability to defend every number. The problem is most organizations aren’t there yet.
According to Capgemini’s Sustainability in Action 2026 report:
- 80% of business leaders say their sustainability data is not comprehensive enough to inform sustainability strategy
- Only 16% describe their sustainability data as audit-ready
- 40% of organizations are still managing sustainability data through entirely manual processes
These are not outlier results. They reflect the baseline reality for most sustainability teams today, regardless of industry, size, or geography.
Below are the seven data challenges that come up most in our research and in conversations with sustainability teams every day, and for each one, a concrete fix. Read on if you want to spend less time chasing numbers and more time doing the work that actually delivers impact.
