Investor-Owned Utility · Energy & Utilities · Atlanta, GA · 12 weeks
ESG reporting data foundation built
An investor-owned utility struggled with fragmented ESG data scattered across 14 departments and no governance, causing an 18-week annual sustainability report process. We created a centralized ESG data system and automated the reporting pipeline, cutting preparation time to 3 weeks and enabling quarterly ESG reports for the first time.
Challenge
The sustainability team gathered data from 14 departments through emails and spreadsheets. Each department measured emissions, water use, and safety differently. Reconciling this data took 18 weeks and still resulted in audit-flagged discrepancies. We streamlined data collection and standardized measurements to eliminate these issues.
Approach
We created an ESG data governance framework to standardize measurement methods across 14 departments, using GRI and SASB standards as the basis. We replaced manual email and spreadsheet data collection with an automated pipeline. Then, we developed a reporting platform that pulls from one certified data source to produce the annual sustainability report and quarterly ESG updates.
Outcome
We cut the annual sustainability report prep time from 18 weeks to 3 by streamlining data collection and automating key calculations. We launched quarterly ESG reports to meet investor demands for timely updates. Our changes eliminated all 14 external auditor discrepancies in the first year. The utility also aligned with SASB standards for the first time, improving reporting accuracy and credibility.
How we brought 14 teams together to cut mistakes and keep everything tight
Here’s the deal: 14 different departments were all tracking emissions in their own unique ways. The facilities team and the fleet team? Each had their own spin on Scope 1 emissions, and neither was sticking to the GRI standards. So, we brought everyone into the same room for a series of coordination sessions. The goal? Simple, get everyone using one consistent measurement method. By the end, we had all 47 ESG metrics perfectly aligned with both GRI and SASB standards.
How We Cut Down Manual Data Entry by Automating Data Collection
Manually pulling all that data was a total pain, it set us back by 18 weeks. So, we created an automated pipeline that pulled data straight from the operational systems. We also got rid of the old manual inputs and switched to structured web forms. The result? What used to take 12 weeks now takes just 2.
Results
- 18 to 3 weeks Annual sustainability report preparation
- 14 to 0 External auditor discrepancy findings
- Quarterly ESG reporting frequency enabled for first time
- 14 departments Standardized under unified ESG data governance
We used to spend 18 weeks preparing our sustainability report, and we still had problems with the auditors. Thinklytics helped us set up a solid data system that cut the time down to 3 weeks and fixed all the auditor issues. Now, we can publish quarterly ESG updates, which our investors have been asking for.