Sustainability management software monitors non-renewable energy sources, reduces operational costs, ensures regulatory compliance, and minimizes the emission of harmful production byproducts. Companies rely on these products to limit waste and achieve more sustainable production systems, typically as part of a larger environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) strategy. Government agencies utilize sustainability management products to monitor environment data trends over time and measure the impact of emissions on climate and community health. As more companies are subject to regulatory compliance for emission standards, sustainability management products are an important tool to ensure compliant processes.
These products tend to overlap in features with energy management software , as both types of software help organizations monitor resource and energy usage and help make more sustainable decision. Energy management focuses more on energy consumption related to HVAC systems to reduce operational costs. It is not uncommon for businesses concerned with regulatory compliance to utilize both types of software. Sustainability management software also integrates with all of the necessary resource monitoring infrastructure (metering and equipment) as well as existing organizational IT management software. The software acts as a third party, integrable monitor that plugs in and gathers data from the systems already in place. The integration with the existing IT infrastructure is necessary to accurately monitor emissions generated and inefficiencies within operations.
To qualify for inclusion in the Sustainability Management category, a product must:
- Monitor resource use, carbon emissions, and other key environmental data points
- Aggregate analytical data into a central dashboard and track KPIs
- Support emission compliance with all existing regulatory and legal requirements
- Integrate with necessary resource monitoring equipment
